How Long is Forever?
by 3 Phantoms
Summary: The Master Sword sleeps forever. How long is forever with no Link? A week? A year? A millenea? Forever has not yet begun and evil still stalks the land... When Hyrule is threatened, a Hero must appear.
1. Hero's Son

**Hi, I decided my next Fic will be a LOZ LTTP Fic! For all you Zelda lovers like me I think you'll like this! Rated T for language.**

**Hero's Son**

_The three triangles of wisdom, power, and courage; the Triforce... It's supposed to hold power enough to make all mortal dreams come true, but I don't know if I believe that. Many others did though, and they looked all over for it. Eventually a man named Gannon managed to find it, only one person knows what he wished for; the man who took the Triforce from him. This man's name was Link, my father… He fought long and hard to save a princess, he battled monsters, thieves, wizards, and a man who was more animal than human, and he prevailed. He prevailed and wished for peace, the Triforce granted that wish, it healed many of the scars Gannon left on Hyrule and even restored those who died. But alas, it couldn't protect my father; a simple disease, that was all it took. He died in bed surrounded by family, friends and even a few fairies who tried to heal him. I was only six at the time when I saw my first fairy; I was surprised to see them crying as much as me. My mother sat me down later and told me all about my father's travels; she said I was old enough to understand now…_

_It's been ten years since Queen Zelda told me this. And it's been five years since I broke her heart and left, determined to prove that the son was as able as the father._

-8-

"Aden! Aden, you bastard, where are you!" The voice floated through the dimly lit caverns. Aden turned toward the entrance of his cave as the owner of the voice, a pretty young thief with bobbed red hair, rounded the corner, "Found you, you jerk! Blokead says it your turn to stand watch."

"That blockhead just wants to get rid of me." Aden muttered, pulling on his boots, "I stood watch two weeks ago, you know that Gale." Gale merely shrugged and opened her mouth, but he spoke faster, "Don't say it! I know he's the boss but he's still a blockhead." The redhead shut her mouth and nodded.

Groaning in annoyance, Aden stood, grabbed his sword from a nearby rack, and pushed past her, mentally grumbling as she followed him down the hall and into the main cavern.

The large chamber was full of noise, at one time the sound of twenty or so thieves and robbers joking, drinking, and comparing spoils would've scared him, now he barely spared them a second glance and strode directly to the southern wall, "One of these days I'll kill that blockhead…" He whispered pushing on the wall, it yielded easily and he slipped through the passage.

Outside the forest air was cool and crisp; it was the perfect tonic for his irritation. Overhead the moon was a perfect full circle, illuminating the surrounding shrubbery. _Here's to a positively perfect night. _Aden thought quickly scaling a nearby tree, from his perch he could see most of the nearby forest, but courtesy of his black hair no one but the crows could see him.

_Maybe I'll just maim Blokead a little. I mean it's not like I hate these watches, I've always loved the night. But he's still an ass, and he needs a major kicking. _In truth, Aden knew he couldn't kill him; he wasn't the thief the others were. He was fast and strong, but he wasn't a murderer, even Gale had killed before, of course usually it was some lecher who'd gone after her in the first place, but still, Aden had always managed to avoid killing. No one seemed to care as long as he brought back some loot, but Gale had noticed and had taken to teasing him about it.

The woods were quiet tonight, almost too quiet, Aden liked that, it provided him time to almost relax, he hadn't truly relaxed in seven years, but after a few hours in a night like this, he could almost drop his guard. Almost.

"You're lost." Aden jumped at the sound of a new voice, echoing clearly in the night. Scanning the foliage he found the source soon enough; a young man was standing just beneath his branch with his back to him. For a moment the thief hesitated; the man was obviously wealthy; his scarlet armor attesting such, but he also looked very strong, and anyone who could slip beneath his sight was worthy of praise. Maybe this man was too dangerous… Then Aden caught sight of the golden sword he held at his side. It was magnificent! A prize like that was worth a king's ransom, and he could tell that it was a real weapon. This wasn't some ornament to be looked at, no that had been tempered in the hellfires of combat. And if he stole it, then it would be _his,_ and Blokead could do a thing about it!

It was too enticing to pass up. Wrapping one hand around the hilt of his own sword he prepared to attack. His target was either very brave, or very foolish; he had his back turned to a thief that he clearly knew was watching, and he was totally at ease, he hadn't even put up his guard! _Foolish. _Aden decided, _He's a rich fool who thinks he owns these woods, well he's about to find out that that's not the case… _Like a panther he prepared to strike and that's when the figure spoke again.

"Poor boy, you really have forgotten… Watch closely."

Aden leapt from the tree landing three feet from his prey and struck, unsheathing his weapon and slashing at the man's neck. His plan was simple: knock the rich snob out with the flat of the blade, turn him into a poor snob. Unfortunately the rich snob didn't wait to be hit. Turning he raised his sword, and Aden shielded his eyes as the forest was illuminated with golden light. "Whirling Blade Attack!"

The light faded as quickly as it had come. Aden staggered back, rubbing his eyes. As his vision cleared he saw the figure dash into the forest. _He's fast but he's not getting away with that sword! _He thought dashing after him, _I know this forest! He can't disappear like I can- _The thought ended abruptly as the figure vanished into thin air. "What the?" Aden stopped and proceeded carefully, he quickly found what had made his target vanish: a small passage carved through a fallen tree, it was almost invisible. He lithely stepped into the darkness.

The place he emerged at was a large clearing bathed in soft moonlight. It was quiet here, Aden knew that dozens of animals watched him from the trees, but they made not a single sound.

"What is this place?" He mumbled, then cursed when he realized that he'd lost his target. "Damn! Oh well, can't do-ooooohhh…." Aden grinned, for at the far end of the clearing, easily seen in the moonlight was a glittering pearl-colored sword, "Hello Baby…" He drooled, making his way towards it. The sword was situated on a pedestal made out of what appeared to be marble. Aden didn't bother caring going directly for the blade, it wasn't as nice as the golden sword, but whoever put it there was practically begging him to steal it!

"Mine!" He laughed grasping the sapphire hilt and pulling. The sword didn't move. Smirk vanishing Aden tried again… and again… and again… The sword didn't budge even one inch. Growling he tried again, this time his fingers slipped and he fell flat on his back, smacking his head against the stone.

Aden sat up, trying to clear the stars from his eyes, the sword sparkled innocently, almost daring him to try again. _I will… _He swore, glancing at the moon …_but not tonight._

Standing he etched this place into his memory so that he could find it later, and began to head back. The others would be missing him soon.

-8-

**Now it begins, I think I'm going to have _alot _of fun with this one! Oiy, please note I've only played LTTP and TP so if I use ideas from other Zelda games it is accidental, and I say 'oops!' Review!**


	2. Finding a Path

**Finding A Path**

The sword seemed to be calling to him. Aden could almost hear it singing softly to his soul, it wasn't made to rust away in this forest; it didn't like the rock any more than he did. Yet despite their seeming agreement, the blade refused to budge. Aden tried everything he could think of: gripping the sword by the guard, waiting for certain times during the day, even simply asking the blade to come out. In desperation he tried smashing the rock with a hammer; all he received for his effort was a bruised elbow.

"Stupid rock." He muttered bitterly, kicking the stone. He'd long since noticed the inscription carved into the pedestal's front; long curving runes that were scratched perfectly into the stone, they were probably instructions, or some spell to remove the sword, but there was one itty-bitty problem; he couldn't read them!

Still, Aden found himself returning to the clearing again and again, even when he couldn't think of any new ways to try pulling it he would sit on the warm marble slab with his back to the sword and speak to it. At first he felt silly but as the tranquility of that place worked on him his unease gradually disappeared and soon he was speaking to the sword as though it were an old friend, telling it some of his deepest secrets. It was on that day that the animals appeared.

He'd always known that they were there; watching from the safety of those trees and keeping unnaturally still and quiet. Until he told the sword of his inability to take a human life, as though they understood, a family of squirrels bounded up to him at stared silently into his eyes. For a moment all he could do was return their gaze, then a low bark caught his attention; standing two feet from him was a young grey wolf, even as he watched, the canine padded up to him and laid it's head heavily in his lap. _It's like… They're not afraid of each other… _He thought, as a doe and her fawn emerged next.

-8-

"Where are you going all the time?" Gale asked hands on her hips.

Aden merely shrugged, "You know that I like to get out of these caves. I'm just getting some air."

"Uh uh." Gale shook her head quickly, "At _night. _You enjoy getting out at _night, _not in the middle of the day. Like. You're. Doing. Now."

"Well can you blame me for wanting to get away from him?" He said pointing. At the far end of the main cave, striding toward them was Kirk, and of all the things that the cutthroats could've agreed on, it was that Kirk was a royal bastard. No one liked him but Aden almost hated him; Kirk had once tried to take advantage of Gale and had gotten neutered as a result. He now considered it almost insulting if anyone was able to warm up to her. Unfortunately that put Aden at the top of his hit list.

Gale cast him a passing glance, already people were moving tables out of the way, "He'll want to fight you."

"Again?"

"Yeah," Gale smirked, stepping aside, "Until he kills you."

Aden laughed, just for the sake of making Kirk angrier. Then the blond was standing over him, "Big, blond, and dumb, hi Kirk. You feelin' alright? How're the women treating you?"

Kirk punched him hard on the jaw, "I'll feel much better in a few minutes, thanks." He grinned.

Spitting out a glob of blood Aden returned the smile, "Yeah, yeah, we all know you're acting tough. I would too, but I'm not compensating for anything." Kirk swung again and this time Aden ducked and jabbed him twice in the ribs. The bigger man backed off and aimed a kick at his head. Aden staggered back as the boot hit him in the forehead; he then felt the air rush out of his lungs as Kirk bowled him over. They rolled biting and scratching to the ground, each trying to get on top of the other.

Aden reached out, grabbed his attacker's hand, and twisted, snapping the wrist. Pressing his advantage Aden kicked hard. The big man fell onto his back, and Aden leapt onto his chest, raining down blow after blow. He heard someone mutter 'ouch' when Kirk bashed him in the side of the head with a small stone, ignoring the pain in his temple he stamped down on the offending arm's elbow. The bones gave way easily beneath his foot, and left with both arms rendered useless, Kirk was helpless to stop what came next.

Aden punched him twice in the eyes and once in the nose, smiling as the blood began to flow. Kirk moaned piteously when Aden took careful aim, and began knocking his teeth out next. Then two pairs of arms gripped him strongly and pulled him up, "That's enough! You're going outside on watch!"

Aden shrugged, "Why? What for?" He demanded.

"Protection."

"But I don't need protection!"

From her position over the, now bloody Kirk, Gale laughed, she wasn't the only one, "It's _him _they're protecting!"

_ Fine, I don't really care. _He thought as they pushed him roughly out of the caves, and into the forest. At noon the woods were drastically different than at night; sunlight pushed its way through the canopy, splashing the forest floor with patches of shaded light. All in all, Aden thought it looked beautiful, but boring; not at all like the thrilling night. Sighing he scaled his tree and waited.

An hour later someone came out to relieve him. Sensing his chance Aden told the thief that he was going to check a few of their regular hunting trails, the moment that he was out of sight of the hideout, he took off at a dead sprint. That sword was calling for him again.

-8-

"Are you so desperate to prove your strength that you fight weaklings like that fool, Kirk?" Aden woke with a start; he'd dozed off while sitting against the pedestal. Standing on the soft grass just beyond, black and gold cloak swirling about his knees, was a bald man, "Well, Prince Aden?"

On any other day Aden would've clobbered the old man; his sword would be out before his brain knew what his body was doing. But hearing _Prince Aden _brought him up short, "Who are you?"

The man bowed low at the waist, "I am merely Regime, a humble follower of the Church of the Eclipse like my father and mother before me, young prince." Regime straightened and grinned, showing perfectly healthy teeth.

Aden blinked, the man didn't seem to fit together properly beneath his cape; his wiry arms didn't go with his broad shoulders, his teeth didn't go with his ragged and world-weary eyes. "How do you know my name?" He asked, standing.

"Hyrule is too small a world for its prince to vanish into thin air, no matter how deep you wish to sink into its filth. You are not the simple thief you pretend to be, you are the heir to Hyrule kingdom's throne; Crown Prince Aden, son of Queen Zelda and the dearly departed King Link." Regime's smile turned sad, "But you don't look much like a prince now…"

"What do you know?"

"I know that your mother still grieves for you, even though it's been seven years. I know that you won't return to her because you can't bear the thought of her seeing what you've become. And most importantly I know that a year after you left, you came upon a woman in trouble who-"

"Shut up!" Aden snapped, seeing where the conversation was going. Regime nodded.

"I know why you became a thief; I know why you can't bring yourself to murder a single person; and I know why you share such a deep connection with that sword."

"I don't suppose you'll tell me how?"

"Correct" Aden tried to see what the man was thinking but it was like trying to read the script on the stone, completely incomprehensible. In his silence Regime picked up the conversation, "You immersed yourself in the darkness of those thieves to better understand how to defeat them, but despite your good intentions you have become lost in your own darkness."

For a long moment the clearing was silent, before Aden finally asked, "Why'd you come here? What do you want?"

"To save the world, this is the duty of my church, and I believe that you would be the perfect knight to uphold this cause…" Reaching into the folds of his cloak the old man produced a black pendant. "To the east is a palace guarded by ancient magic, if you can take that to the top of the dungeon, you might find what you were looking for when you first left home."

"And do you know what _that_ was?"

Regime turned tossing the pendant into the air as he left, "Oh no… only you know what that was."

Aden caught the necklace backhanded and turned it over. It was a heavy black amulet made of metal with the word courage etched into its surface. "What's-" Aden stopped as he noticed that he was once again alone, "-this… Jerk."

"Well wasn't that interesting?" Gale said emerging from the trees. "I finally found where you've been sneaking off to!"

"Gale…" Aden began carefully, "How much of that did you hear?"

Gale shrugged, "Something about becoming lost in your own darkness, a church that's trying to save the world, and a magic palace in the east, but that's…" She trailed off gazing over him, "…that's a gorgeous sword…"

Aden stepped aside, unable to hide his smile as she dashed past him and wrapped her hands around the hilt. "I'll take this, you can't use it anyway." She said pulling, Aden's smile turned into a grin when nothing happened, "This thing's stuck good…" She snapped, pulling harder. Aden sat down and waited for her to run out of steam. He didn't have to wait too long; Gale didn't have much patience with what she saw as unattainable, and with an annoyed sigh, she gave up, blowing on her reddened hands.

Aden chuckled, "Now your hands match your hair!"

Gale stuck out her tongue at him before going over to sit down at his side, "So are you gonna go?"

"What?" Aden blinked, Gale punched him in the arm.

"This palace that guy mentioned… are you going to go?" She asked.

"Maybe, I don't know yet…"

"Well I am!" She said, "Just think, there could be mountains of treasure there!"

For some reason that seemed incredibly funny. Aden threw back his head and laughed, "Typical you; always looking for that extra rupee."

"Aren't you?" Gale asked. Aden stopped laughing as Regime's words rang through his ears.

_You might find what you were looking for when you first left home…_ _But what was that?_

"Gale, let's go."


	3. Searching

**A quick note: Hyrule will be bigger in this story, everything will be in the same place but it'll take longer to go from point A to point B than in the game. And if you don't like it then oh well. (maniacal laughter)**

**Searching**

_I haven't left this forest in ages._ Thought Aden as the emerald canopy gave way to golden sunshine. Beside him Gale let out a loud _whoop_!

"What was that for?" He asked as the sound faded into the distance. Gale shrugged.

"Eh, just felt like it." She replied, punching him in the arm.

"What was that for?"

"I owed you one. You never told me that sword couldn't be pulled." With a dissatisfied grunt she nudged her horse into a trot. Sighing, Aden followed suit.

"So when was the last time you got out of the woods?" He asked.

"Oh…" Gale screwed up her face, thinking, "…a year, I think. Yeah, it's been almost one year."

"What were you doing?"

"A little of this, a little of that. Though it was mostly _this._" Aden leaned away as she aimed another punch in his direction.

"Having fun?"

"Very much, thank you. I gotta keep you on your toes, otherwise you'll get soft."

Aden let out a low laugh, his shoulders shaking, "You said much the same thing when I came to the gang."

"And it's still true."

-8-

The day passed slowly, with the open fields relatively quiet compared to the natural din of the forest, and the rhythmic sound of hoof beats gradually lulling the two into a numbed trance, so it was almost no surprise to Aden when Gale punched him again. "I'm getting hungry."

Aden checked the sun; it was just after noon, "Okay, I packed some dried meat, from Blockhead's personal cache of course."

They ate in the saddle, both wanting to get as much ground covered as possible. According to the map Aden had thought to bring there was a magical study called Sanctuary about a day's ride from the woods; it would make an ideal place for two travelers to stay the night. "Hey Aden?"

Aden tensed, expecting another punch, "Yeah?"

"I just remembered, that guy, the one who gave you the pendant, he said: 'You may find what you were looking for to begin with.'"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, when you came to us years ago, you said you were searching for something…"

Aden blinked, "And your point is…?"

"I just thought to ask…" Gale muttered, "What are- or _were- _you searching for?"

Aden closed his eyes as her question teased him. _What was I searching for? _ He'd had a goal when he set out, hadn't he? But somewhere along the line he'd lost sight of it… somehow it had become nothing more than a faint shadow at the edge of his mind. The pendant around his neck seemed to grow heavier at his thoughts, "I was trying to prove something."

Gale frowned, "To who?"

"Myself mostly."He said with a shrug, and then blinked as a dim memory of a man in green flashed behind his eyes, "Mostly…"

-8-

The soldier hit the ground hard, groaning as his attacker stepped over both him, and his decapitated partner. Zelda forced herself to remain calm, while her maid quickly ducked behind her throne. Before her was a green robed man sporting several gold rings on each of his gloved hands. Zelda brought her gaze up to the intruder's eyes, or more appropriately _eye_; save for his left eye, his entire head and neck was swathed in white bandages. "Your majesty." He said bowing. Zelda flinched, every move the man made resulted in a grinding pop, "Ah look at what time has done to us… You, an aged flower, and I, a decaying corpse, ho, ho… Time truly has not been kind to us."

"Who are you, and why have you invaded my home?" Zelda snapped.

The intruder straightened, his back popping loudly, "Ah getting straight to business, very well. I am searching for something, a crystal that I know you are very familiar with… _seven _crystals in fact."

"If you're after precious gems," She replied, "I can have someone escort you to the royal treasury."

The man threw back his bandaged head and laughed, punctuating the sound with a series of sickening cracks, "Don't insult me Zelda! I'm after the crystals you and the other maidens were imprisoned in over a decade ago."

"And what makes you think I have them, for that matter, why do you want them?"

From beneath his bandages, the man grinned, "Those crystals are but one part of a complex jigsaw puzzle that I intend to solve, as for why I think you have them, I know how you think; you'd never simply throw away something quite so… _memorable." _ The man's single eye narrowed, "Now I'm going to make this simple; I've already proven I'm more than a match for these guards, so tell me where they are or I'll begin to slaughter them one by one." After a moment he added, "And don't even think of calling for more of them, or that girl cowering behind you will go first."

"Even if you did beat a few of my knights, I don't think you can get all of them." The queen said defiantly, "They'll kill you before you can hurt either of us."

"Hah! You still haven't noticed? That's rich!" The infuriating man laughed again, reaching up to his face, "Well since you don't seem to know who you're dealing with, let me show you." And so saying he began unwinding the cloth.

Zelda brought a hand to her mouth to quell her rising lunch as the bandages fell to the floor, her maid made the mistake of peeking out from behind the throne; her cheeks turned a sickly shade of green before she fainted face-first onto the carpet.

"Not a pretty sight is it?" He said, stooping to pick up his bandages, "You did this!"

Zelda took a deep breath, "You brought it on yourself…"

The man chuckled darkly, rewinding his bandages as he spoke, "Of course I did… And now you see why I can't be beaten so easily. I ask again, _your Highness, _where are the blasted crystals at?"

The room grew silent, the only sound was Zelda's own rapid heartbeat, finally she bowed her head, "The cemetery. My husband hid them in the cemetery."

"Really, odd I thought they'd be closer to home…"

Zelda treated him to a scowl, "Do you know how horrible it was being trapped in there? I couldn't move my arms or legs or anything! I didn't want them around."

The man blinked. "Fair enough," He said, sinking through the stone as though it wasn't there, "but they'd better be there, for your sake."

-8-

The sanctuary was quiet; the only sounds apparent were those of the wind sighing against the stained windows, and of Gale curled up in the pew across from him sleeping soundly. Aden sat up in his own pew, reaching into his tunic he drew out the pendant. _Courage… is that what I was looking for? _He traced the metal etchings thoughtfully. _Is courage my answer? _No, he'd always had plenty of courage, even as a child. _So what was I seeking? _The pendant had no answer, but as he stared, an urge gripped him, an urge he hadn't felt in years.

Bowing his head Aden began to pray.

_I don't know if you three can hear me, or even if I'm allowed to talk to you, but here goes… For a long time I've been feeling regret over becoming a thief, it was thrilling and the rewards could be great but I was never able to fully embrace their ways… So, if I'm allowed one request, maybe you could help me find what I was looking for to begin with… just maybe? _Feeling slightly foolish, Aden tucked the pendant back into his tunic and laid down to sleep. _What kind of gods would listen to a thief?_


	4. Siren's Song

**Siren's Song**

_How are we this fine morning Aden? Hot… _Aden scowled at the sun, wondering if the summer could get any hotter. _Maybe it's because I'm a night person, maybe I think it's hotter than it really is… _Then he looked at Gale, her forehead had a slight sheen to it. _Nope, it's just plain hot. Still, being hot has its advantages, right? Nu-uh, can't think of any._

Five minutes later he thought of one when Gale rolled up her sleeves and undid the first three ties of her tunic, it was the most he'd ever seen of her; she _never _dressed in any way that might be considered immodest. _But maybe that's because no one else is around? If that's the case then she's showing that she trusts me, and I shouldn't betray that trust._

A minute later he was staring out of the corner of his eye at her ample bosoms moving up and down with her breathing.

"I'm glad one of us is happy." Aden returned his eyes to the road as Gale sighed. "Enjoying the view?"

_I'm dead meat._ Aden felt his cheeks grow warm-_er. _"Sorry."

"I didn't ask for an apology, I asked if you enjoyed the view, or not?"

"If I say yes, what'll you do?"

Gale smiled sweetly. Letting go of the reins, she reached over her head, clasped her hands together, and stretched back, rolling her shoulders and pushing her chest out in the same motion. "Just this."

Aden blinked raising one eyebrow at the sight. "I'm dreaming, aren't I?"

Gale relaxed, "Let's see," she said, whilst leaning over and jabbing him hard on the jaw, "did that hurt?"

Aden shook his head and popped his jaw to clear his mind. "Yeah, I guess I deserved that one."

Gale shrugged. "No, no more than anyone else, anyway."

The response caught him off guard, and Aden edged his horse away from her, just in case another punch was coming. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I don't mind if you look, it means I'm still attractive."

There had to be a catch. "But?" Aden asked quietly.

Gale grinned, a gesture that made her look both attractive and cruel. "I got used to guys like you staring over the years, but if you try anything else… well, you'll lose something_ precious_ to you.

"So I can stare all I want," he asked slowly, "and you're alright with that?"

"Have you ever heard the saying 'forbidden fruit is the sweetest'?" When Aden shook his head, Gale chuckled knowingly. "It means that that which you can't have, you want. So go ahead and look your fill, because eventually looking and dreaming won't be enough; you're going to want me lying next to you, and I'm gonna sit here, dying of laughter while I watch you squirm, eaten alive by your own desire."

"So, this is really torture disguised as a good thing?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

Aden took a moment to compose a reply, "If this is torture, lock the door and throw away the key, 'cause I aint going nowhere!"

-8-

Just as the sun began its descent to the west, an unmistakable feeling of dread gripped him. _We're being followed, I'm sure of it._ Aden slumped in the saddle and let his senses range out. A squirrel chattered in the nearby rocks, dozens of tiny insects buzzed around them, and beside them the river flowed steadily by. _But I'm sure there's something following us, but how?_

They were on a vast plain, the cemetery and Sanctuary were far behind them now, and there was no place to hide. Aden turned to look down at the river; if someone was tailing them, it would be underwater, but they'd have to come up for air sometime.

A full minute passed, Aden scanned along the bank, nothing. Two minutes, he didn't see any reeds floating around. After three minutes he abandoned the river; it was unlikely anyone could hold their breath so long. _Maybe it's nothing, I'm just getting paranoid._

"Aden, can we stop?"

Aden started as Gale grabbed him by the hair and pulled. "Yes, yes we can stop! What's wrong?"

Gale released him, dismounted, and led her horse to the river. "What's wrong is it's hot, it's only noon, and it'll just get hotter until evening!"

"Alright." He replied, inspecting the area. Flowing from parts unknown in the north, the river made a strange U-shape; winding south before turning north again. They were at its western bend, where it came back up from the south and turned to flow back the way they'd come. "So we wait here till it cools off a little, then in the evening we can get a little more distance covered before sunset."

"I have an idea; we wait till it cools off then keep going until sunrise."

Aden dismounted and tethered his horse near to the river so the animal could drink and graze as it pleased. "You're willing to travel at night?

Gale dipped her hands into the river. "Yeah, why not? It'll be cooler at night, so it'll be easier on us, and the horses. Besides you like the night anyway."

Reaching into his saddlebags Aden pulled out the map. "There's another reason why that would help, one I hadn't thought of before…"

"Enlighten me."

Tilting the map for her to see, he motioned to Hyrule's eastern edge. "There's a bridge south of us now, after we cross that we go further south before turning into the eastern hills where this palace is."

Gale immediately caught on. "It's this, isn't it?" She said pointing. Just below the bridge was a dark brown area.

"Yup. That area has nothing but rocks, mud, and more rocks; we have enough food but the horses would be ragged by the time we got out, unless we ride at night to save their energy."

"So, night it is?"

Aden folded the map. "Night it is."

And the day wore on…

Gale chucked a pebble into the river. "I'm thinking of something black."

Aden sighed. "My eyes?"

"Nope."

"My hair?"

"Yip."

The sun was still high overhead and still hot, it was probably only a couple of hours but it felt like eternity. "I'm thinkin' of something pink." He said hoping to throw her off guard.

It worked; Gale thumped the tree they were sitting against. "Pink? There's nothing pink around here!"

Aden closed his eyes, willing the sun to cool down. "Sure there is, you just haven't thought of it yet."

Gale thought about it, then huffed and thumped the tree again. "Well what is it?"

"The color you'd turn if you knew what I was really thinking." He smirked.

"Ha, ha, very funny."

Aden shrugged. "Can you blame me? It's hot, and there's nothing we can do until nightfall." Cracking open one eye he saw her sigh miserably in agreement. "See _this _is why I like the night."

Gale stuck her tongue out at him, then her features brightened. "Well mister smart-ass, I actually thought of something useful while you had your dirty thoughts."

"Oh? And just what did you come up with?"

"A way to cool down," She said, standing, "I'm going swimming, feel free to peek but expect a swift and painful death if you do."

Aden couldn't help but smile. "I thought people staring didn't bother you."

Gale rounded the tree; from the other side he could hear her divesting herself of her garments. "That's when I'm clothed, you moron."

"Now, now, don't be mean; I was only teasing…" He laughed.

"Yeah, I know. It's like being with a kid, I swear."

As a soft splash reached his ears, a muffled _thunk _sounded right behind him. It was a sound Aden had heard many times before; the sound of a knife embedding itself in wood. "Gale?"

"That was your warning." Aden could tell that she was smiling. "I have one for warning and one more for anyone stupid enough to disregard the warning."

_That was my warning, was it? _"Well don't worry, why would I be tempted?"

That drew a few moments of silence from her, then, "Jerk."

_You walked into it. _He thought, smiling. _At least one of us is happy."_

Aden felt the sun get hotter; it was the hottest part of the day now, so it could only get better. _But with only a pathetic patch of shade to protect us, it'll feel like forever before that happens… _Resigning himself to a long and miserable wait, he closed his eyes and tried to drift off to sleep. His mind was just growing hazy when a new sound snapped him back to awareness.

A soft tune was ghosting through the air; a sweet melody washing over him like a cool breeze. It was a full minute before Aden identified the singer as Gale. _She never sings, I didn't even know she could! She's probably doing it to keep me awake for earlier. _But as time passed, the wordless song began to ease his tension; his muscles relaxed and the day seemed to grow cooler as his eyes slowly closed, and for the first time in years, Aden completely dropped his guard.

_You know, I'm kinda glad she's here._ With that last thought, he dropped off into a light sleep, Gale's gentle song still echoing in his ears.


	5. Under the Moon

**This one was hard for me to get on paper, but here it is at last! Enjoy!**

**Under the Moon**

The night air was warm, but not nearly as stifling as the day had been. Aden thrived in the darkness, the silver moon and stars were the only illumination they had, and the only kind he needed. Most thought Hyrule was more dangerous at night, what with wolves, octorocs and other such nasties. _But then I'm not most people._

Gale seemed almost as pleased with their new arrangement as he was, given the relaxed set of her shoulders, and the ease with which she rode.

"You know, most young women would be afraid to travel at night." He joked.

"That's because they're all afraid of you." She replied. For reasons he couldn't quite fathom, Aden was unable to form a comeback.

They passed the bridge just as the sky was beginning to lighten, and unspoken consent, kept going until the sun was warm overhead.

"Alright, that should be enough for one night." Aden said, gazing around. They were now at the northern end of the wasteland, they still had a ways to go before they made it out but after that it was a short ride east and then north to the easternmost hills of Hyrule.

Gale dismounted and took a drink from her waterskin. "You're sure we don't have to worry about the animals that live here?"

"Yeah, I heard they only attack loners or weakened prey."

"Well then this is as good a spot as any to catch up on our sleep."

Aden blinked, he'd barely noticed that he was growing weary; nighttime seemed to have a revitalizing effect on him. _Not so for her though… _With a groan he dismounted and set about finding a spot to tether the horses.

-8-

Aden was standing before the open gates of a large castle, watching a boy who could be no more than five run through the gardens with a wooden dagger in his hand, and a huge grin plastered on his face as he slashed and dueled imaginary foes. A short distance away, sitting in the shade of a Willow tree, Queen Zelda chuckled at her son's merriment…

Then he was standing within the Lost Woods, the claw-like tree limbs dripping rubies of blood as a cold hand reached out to claw at his shoulder…

Aden sat up, breaking free of the nightmare before it could begin. He could feel his heart pounding rapidly against his ribcage but already the visions were vanishing. _Good… _He mouthed as the forest slowly grew dimmer in his mind.

"Feeling homesick?" Aden started when he realized Gale was watching him. "You know you were mumbling 'mommy' in your sleep? I understand you know; it's not like we were born in that loathsome hideout."

"What about you? Do you ever feel like going back to… home, I guess."

"Nope. I may not have liked those morons much, but they taught me everything I know about stealing. Besides my parents are dead, so what's there to go back to?"

"I see." Aden sighed. "Yeah, every so often I think about going back, but, um… Well let's just say it's complicated." He expected her to push for more but she merely shrugged and rolled away from him.

"Eh, we all have our secrets, I suppose."

-8-

The next night saw them freely to the other end of the muddy plain. But although he was happy with the speed of their travels, Aden was unable to shake the feeling that they were being trailed. However with no one else around, he refrained from mentioning it to Gale, she'd think he was losing it.

Unease aside there was only one thing bothering him: the swordsman he'd seen the night he first saw the gleaming sword. _Who was he, and_ _what had he done? _That warrior had retaliated with the practiced ease of a knight. _But what had he done? _Aden strove to remember the details of the skirmish. The man had turned and lashed out with his sword, and then there was a blinding flash and he cried 'Whirling Blade Attack', or some such.

_Did he… spin his sword or something? _Aden tried, but he couldn't remember what had taken place in that light. _Damn…_ The strange move aside, that had been a really nice sword…

The pendant slid slightly under his tunic. _Of course with any luck, I might soon be able to get a sword of my own, one that I didn't have to steal. _Aden stopped his thoughts with mild surprise; he hadn't felt guilty for years, so why start now? With a shake of his head, he pushed the notion out of his mind and concentrated on the dimly lit path ahead of them.

Another night and they turned east, skirting the mountains that separated the badlands and their destination. According to the map, they had only a very short distance to go. Aden checked the sky. They could make it by dawn, if they tried, but the hills were too steep for horses.

"I say we get there tonight." Gale muttered when he explained his findings. "Then we can find this palace before it gets too hot, at the same time we can leave the horses on the grassy area to rest. Also, this way I get my money faster."

With no complaints, and a few chuckles, Aden spurred his horse into a full gallop. Just as the first rays of sunlight began to peek over the horizon, the grass gave way to a large hill topped with amber grass and a single wooden staircase connecting the two levels.

Aden paused at the sight of two marble archways lining the path. Deftly batting aside a stray octoroc he dismounted and tied his horse to the stone.

Gale mimicked the action grinning like a child that had been promised sweets. "Money, money, money… Come to momma my little rupees…" She sang quietly.

Aden hardly heard her, reaching under his tunic he pulled out the pendant and let it catch the dawn light. The black ornament didn't glitter, but the word _Courage _seemed to stand out. "To the east is a palace guarded by ancient magic, if you can take that to the top of the dungeon, you might find what you were looking for when you first left home."

_Well Regime, here goes…_

-8-

**Well, here goes... I know it was kinda short -even for me- but the next one will be longer. Also Octorocs are those things that shoot rocks at you, I _think _I spelled their name right. _Anyways... _Review, please! I really do like to think that I'm getting better at this. :)**


	6. Into Darkness Courage Pt1

**Every time I sat down to start this chapter the words just didn't come but I recently got Skyward Sword and the 25****th**** anniversary CD. The Zelda music can go a long way. But enough about that, ON WITH THE SHOW!**

**Into Darkness: Courage Pt1**

"You know these hills aren't so bad." Aden looked up from the wall he was sitting against. Gale was lying on her side, idly playing with a loose stone. "I mean apart from the wild Octorocs, the afternoon heat, and of course the dark spooky dungeon that could be filled with Triforce-knows-what."

"Oh yeah, a real paradise." He replied, thinking about how dumb they'd been. Neither of them knew where exactly this palace was, and when you added the monsters running rampant throughout the cliffs, it made their task easier said than done. The palace had taken all morning to find, a morning spent battling Octorocs, and strange statues that magically came to life and attacked anyone who got too close.

Even the weather seemed against them; the morning was mild but it had grown steadily hotter, turning simple hills into mountains and every breath into a dry rasp.

"Not quite the adventure you thought it'd be?" Aden asked grimly. "No epic hero, just dirt, blood and cramps all over."

Gale threw away her stone. "I'm not as weak as you, besides _look _at how huge that place is!" She said, gesturing behind her. It had taken the better portion of the day but they'd finally found the eastern palace; a massive structure standing guard over the amber waves below. The tiles leading to it were the finest marble, and would've no doubt cost a fortune on their own, and the palace itself…

"Someplace that big _has to _have a treasury!" Gale sat up, chuckling. "Break time over, it's my money and I want it now."

"Wait," Aden ran a hand through his damp hair. "We have no idea what's in there, we'll need all our strength."

Gale puffed up her cheeks. "I know, but the rupees are calling me… They're saying 'we don't like it here wise and beautiful Gale. We've been waiting for a slender young thief to take us far away.'"

Aden was _almost _sure she was joking, but Gale did seem to be able to find money faster than anyone else he knew, she also wasn't above stealing from other thieves as he found out when she once pilfered his share of a caravan job. _Clever little sneak has a knack for accumulating wealth._

"Can we go in now?" She asked.

"No."

"Now?"

"No…"

"Now?"

"No!" Aden knew she was teasing him, but it was grating on his already worn nerves. Gale opened her mouth slowly.

"Nnnnoooowww?" The redhead asked, trying to suppress her laughter.

Aden clenched his jaw to try and remain calm, his sense of self preservation helped; if he lost his temper, Gale would beat him to a pulp, she fought dirty. "I wonder how Kirk, Blockhead, and the others are doing." He said, in an attempt to derail her game.

It worked, Gale's smile vanished and her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to turn his words on him. She remained like that for several seconds…

"Damn… Well Kirk _was _fine; he took his last potion the day we left. As for Blokead, well I just don't expect him to be in charge much longer. While you were stealing from his stores, I overheard a few of the others talking about a 'change of management.'"

"About time."

"Ah, the weight of leadership, I know it well…" Aden glanced around trying to identify the source of the voice. "If you don't please you subordinates you won't remain leader for long." _Up! _He realized casting his gaze skyward. Standing on an almost vertical ledge was a bald wiry man grinning down at them with pale white teeth.

"Regime? What are you doing here? For that matter, how did you get up there?"

Regime took the time to walk down to their level before answering. "I have magic given to me by the church, enough to get me from place to place with ease."

"And you couldn't just take us along with you?" Gale asked incredulously. "If I remember right you're the guy who sent us here!"

"You came of your own free will, and no I couldn't take you with me; my method of travel would probably kill you." The old man shrugged. "Besides, you both seemed to have arrived in one piece. I'm here to give you a little last minute information regarding this palace, if you'll let me."

Aden and Gale traded identical looks of irritation. "Go ahead."

Regime nodded. "You are not the first one to come to this dungeon, over the centuries many have tried to plunder this place. A few succeeded but most failed, for you see this is actually an underground labyrinth that has had hundreds of spells placed on it. These spells change the rooms and their contents to test each individual; from the moment you set foot over the threshold the dungeon will rearrange its rooms to begin pushing you, it will test every ounce of courage you have."

"I'm still going," Aden said, "so you can stop trying to scare me, even if I don't go, Gale will, she's money hunting."

"Good, then you'll need this." The old man reached into his cloak and pulled out a small lamp and a bright red vial. "That contains a life potion, be careful of when you use it, I only had time to make one."

Aden gratefully accepted the items. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, thank me when those items save your life." Regime said. "When you have finished inside go to Kakariko town, I'll meet you there to explain the rest."

Gale looked ready to say something, but before she could do more than open her mouth Regime vanished. No puff of smoke, or flash of light, just gone… "I'm not sure I like him…"

Aden secured the lamp and the potion to his belt. "Well, he's a little strange I grant you, but he's at least trying to help us get by." He said gazing at the dungeon before them. The entryway was nothing but a dark portal, a black gate that lead to the bowls of the earth.

"Now doesn't this look inviting…" Gale mumbled as he stood and, after a deep breath to bolster his resolve, strode into the darkness.

Dim torchlight illuminated the indigo walls, cobwebs and damp clung to the stone while overhead the ceiling lingered in shadow. As hot as it had been outside, it was equally chilling inside.

"Ok that's just weird, is the heat afraid or something?"

Aden ignored her and proceeded forward. The cold stone took every step and threw it back tenfold. His senses were on high alert, the ever-present darkness could conceal anything… an ancient spell or a deadly monster.

"I think I smell money," Gale whispered. He was about to shush her when she added "and trouble…"

Aden loosened his sword in its sheath. The corridor they were in just seemed to go on, but his eyes were stronger in the dark than most, and there was enough light for him to see the faint outline of a door ahead.

_Click! _Aden cried out as the entire passage was lit up with a loud thunderclap. "What was that?" When no one answered he turned, and froze: Gale was gone.

"Gale?" He called. "Hello, Gale? You there?" His own voice was his only answer. Bending over he searched the walls and floor, he quickly found what he was looking for: there was an oddity among the tiles, a switch that had been pressed to the floor. _Ok, so Gale stepped on this, the hall lit up, and she just vanished… Well at least it can't get-_

The white light flickered off, and then suddenly back on. Aden rubbed his eyes as the room continued to flip between light and dark sporadically. Trying to stave off the headache that was developing he stood and ran for the door. _Ok, if this place is designed to test our courage then it probably just separated us… I have to find Gale, we'll be in less danger together. _

The corridor yielded to a small box-shaped room. Aden glanced around. The lights flicked off but he was able to see several portals along the walls opening silently. When the lights came back on six red-winged fairies were zipping around the room. Aden sidestepped as one flew directly at him, and he got a good look at it; four barbed wings kept it airborne, while the creature giggled playfully, extending pointed claws to scratch at anything that it came across.

_That's no fairy, that's some kind of dark fairy or something. _"Come on, is that all you got?" He laughed as the tiny monster caught itself on the wall and bounced back for more. "I could run circles around you guys, can't you do better than that?"

The lights went out. Enveloped in the darkness, the tiny insects were invisible.

Aden immediately went for his lamp. _I had to open my big mouth... Gale I hope you're in just as much trouble as I am right now! _Aden thought as the miniature demons assailed him.

-8-

_That didn't tickle… _Gale sat up, rubbing her head. She'd stepped on a switch and then the floor had opened up beneath her. "Aden, hey Aden where are you?" The redhead stood and turned around, "Ade-ahhhh!" Her last call turned into a squeal as she beheld the chamber before her…

"I knew I smelled money!"

-8-

**Ok, if any of you think I'm being unfair to Aden, you're right! But don't worry I plan on pulling more than a few tricks on my dear characters, after all they've only just begun. Part two will be longer, and should be up sooner than part one was. Be sure to review! **


	7. Into Darkness Courage Pt2

**Part 2! Not as soon as I'd hoped but oh well. I hope it's worth the wait, I got to thinking what would happen in real life if monsters died like they do in LTTP. Read on and you'll see what I mean…**

**Into Darkness: Courage pt2**

_ Hello… rupees!_ Gale chuckled, surveying the scene, half a dozen piles of multi-colored stones sat before her, almost begging to be taken. It was a thief's dream…

"Now let's see…" She muttered, scanning the walls; treasure like this usually had some kind of trap to protect it, she'd learned that lesson the hard way during a wagon raid once. They'd rigged one of the wagons with bombs, and the burns had taken an age to heal. _No arrow holes… the ceiling's low but I don't see any openings or panels. _Still, something wasn't right; it was all just laying there for her, azure blues, emerald greens, and fiery reds, mixing in a brilliant rainbow of wealth. Walking up to the nearest mound, a waist-high stack of crimson rupees, Gale tentatively reached out and snatched one for a closer inspection.

It seemed perfectly fine, the sides of the gem were cut in the normal way, and it was too heavy to be a fake, but the longer she gazed at it the more it seemed simply off.

"It's too new…" She realized, after several more seconds. "The wall, the floor, everything else is corroded, but not this." With a sad sigh, she let the stone slip between her fingers; the second rule of being a thief was that if it was too risky, don't try to take it, instead live to steal another day, and her instinct warned her that it was far too risky.

_But there has to be something of value here. _It took a thorough scan of the room to find it. Tucked out of sight in the back of the chamber was a rotting chest. Anyone else would have probably passed the small wooden box up in their haste for riches. After determining it was safe, the redhead knelt and tore off the decayed lid.

"Well…" Nestled snugly inside was a large golden key shaped like a horned skull. "Mine!" She grinned at the key, stowing it in her tunic. The key on its own would be worth a decent amount. Standing she brushed a few stray spiders from her arms, and turned to leave.

And stopped short, the treasure was moving. _First rule of being a thief: It's not yours until you get away with it. _Gale thought reaching for one of her daggers.

-8-

Aden slammed the door shut and pressed his back to the wood. Several muffled thumps announced that the creatures on the other side couldn't reach him. _I haven't been here for five minutes and I already hate this place! _"Aw, knock it off!" He shouted as the torches nearby extinguished themselves, and the room was once again plunged into darkness, save for the short path granted by his lamp.

_Okay, okay, just keep cool. I have to find Gale and quickly too, huh? _His foot sank as his weight pressed another switch. A moment later _something _collided with his left side, and he was lifted into the air by an arm that felt like a tree trunk. The arm pushed against his middle, spinning him through the air before releasing him into empty space.

Aden weightlessly flew for the span of a heartbeat, until with a loud smack, he bashed into a wall he could not see, and landed flat on his stomach. Blinking away the fairies that flitted over his eyes he sluggishly got to his feet, cursing the trap torches. _They don't seem deadly but in this place it's like the very lights are trying to kill me. The darkness here is full of nasties. _The torches surrounding the room sputtered to life and Aden drew his sword. _Like that handsome devil. _Standing at the opposite end of the triangular room was the creature that had thrown him; a sickly green-skinned, seven foot monster, with one closed eye, and two very muscular arms.

_What the heck are you? _He took a few tentative steps in the thing's direction. _I've heard of demons being created for the sole purpose of guarding treasure, you one of those big guy? _The creature didn't answer his thoughts, in fact it didn't do anything other than breathe heavily. _Wait a second…_ Aden couldn't hide his surprise as he realized that it was snoring! _That time-bomb fell asleep!_ It boggled his mind how such a powerful creature could run out of steam so quickly. _Well, at least I don't have to fight it._

It was a statement that would be taken back shortly; the room contained two doors that led onward and both were locked and too sturdy to break down. It didn't take Aden long to figure out that he'd been trapped. "Okay-Dokey, new plan… Hey monster!"

The one-eyed fiend stirred as he approached, and then turned to face him with one grotesque orb. Aden settled into a crouch, his sword poised, and waited. The creature didn't keep him waiting long, snarling angrily it attacked, and with surprising speed, swinging its arms like giant hammers. Quick as it was though, it wasn't very agile, or smart, and after a few scratches Aden was untouchable; it was almost like dancing as he darted around the monster's blindsides.

_This thing catches its prey by surprise but… _Aden ducked under an arm nearly as wide as he was and stabbed it in the underside. _It's helpless if you know how to fight it. _Swerving around the monster's fist, he brought his sword up and sliced the demon from shoulder to hip. The creature roared in pain, bulged grotesquely, and then exploded, showering the nearby area with green goo, and Aden belatedly realized that it wasn't a good idea to stand so close.

The doors on either side of the room opened but Aden didn't move; he remained where he was with charred flesh hanging off his sword, trying to comprehend what had just happened. _Note to self: don't stand so close to those uh… things, and don't tell Gale about this._

Aden cast a rupee to decide left or right. The gem landed closer to the left than right so without further ado he started past the threshold.

The darkness in the hall was absolute, the light of his lamp the only guide through the winding corridors. The narrow stone walls took the sounds of frightened rats and spiders and sent them echoing around the corridors. _I'm in a maze… I hate mazes!_ At least he wasn't being blinded by flashes of light.

The short labyrinth ended at black, heavily padlocked, door. Aden didn't waste time attempting to force it down, this door was even bigger than the other one, and the lock that secured it was almost as big as his head. _It appears I've hit a dead end… _Cursing his rotten choice, he trudged back the way he'd come.

The right hand door led to another fork. And that winding path led to another. And another. And yet another. After a moment's thought, he saw that he was traveling through a network of underground chambers; the question was where they eventually led… Most likely to another trap, but he had little choice, the doors he passed through barred themselves, despite his attempts to keep them open.

One room contained two of those Cyclops creatures, Aden was careful not to stand too close when he dispatched them. Another room was bare, save for a chest containing a compass that appeared to be broken, Aden took it anyway; it still looked valuable enough to be worth a few rupees. Others seemed to have no apparent purpose aside from adding to his confusion, frustration, and he hated to admit it, fear; the dungeon was littered with bones, rusted weapons and corroded armor. What if he kept wandering, he could be lost for days, weeks, or worse…

_I really don't want to wind up like those guys… _One half-decayed skeleton glared at him as he passed. Although his ego would never let him come clean about it, he began secretly hoping that Gale hadn't gotten lost in these dark passageways. Anything could be lurking in the next room, like a deadly trap, a hideous monster…

Aden was halfway through one bone-covered room when the door he'd set his sights on closed. _Or an ambush. _The ground rattled beneath his feet as the dead began stirring from their rest.

"Lay back down…" One Stalfos righted itself completely, "Uh… _please _go back to sleep?" The spider-infested skeleton lunged lazily, skinless fingers groping for his throat. Aden took one step back and, drawing his sword, decapitated the undead fiend. "That… was it?" Another pile of bones collapsed as four mangled skeletons stood. "Six, seven… Thirteen of you total huh?" The Stalfos' only answer was to shamble toward him like sleepwalkers. _Okay, if they're all that predictable, this'll be easy._

Bones flew and shattered against the gray stone walls; the Stalfos were easy to evade and even easier to cut down. Aden sliced through the skull of another enemy, and jumped back as yet another moldy hand reached for him. _Fourteen? I missed one? No… _Another of the dead rose. _They aren't staying dead! That's just not fair…_

"How about we call a truce?" He tried. One ambitious Stalfos reached for him early, Aden cleaved it in half at the base of its spine. Backing away from the ever-increasing army of popping bones, he began to wish the lights would go out; the sputtering torches cast the decomposing fiends into a hellish orange glow, as they meandered forward.

Aden felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Stay away from me…" Another skeleton fell, split cleanly down the center. "I'm warning you guys, you really don't want to mess with me." The monsters ignored him, and continued their slow, relentless march. It was that lack of speed that caused his heart to quicken and his nerves to tingle; they didn't feel the need rush his death, they knew no pain, and their numbers only grew, it was as though he was fighting a tidal wave of trudging foes… It was the pace of the unstoppable.

A hooked claw scratched his hand as Aden cut into the growing horde again. "I-I told you to back off!" The blade quivered slightly as it chopped through more bones, and still they advanced, he could've sworn they were grinning. "Back off… Back off, you wretched little-!" One slimy hand clamped around his neck, Aden cut the owner into three pieces. _Gale where are you, I could really use some help right about now…_

A splintered bone grazed his temple. "Gale where are you?" Two Stalfos grabbed the front of his tunic, Aden cut them down, and two more shambled over to take their place. Bones cracked under his feet. Something cut his ankle. A skeleton pulled his hair. The blade cleaved through rotten bone.

"Help! Someone help me!" More undead fell, and rose again. Aden growled like an angry wolverine and dove into the swarm again, hacking at anything within reach. Enemies fell, and a pair of fleshless hands yanked his sword arm down. A Stalfos, grisly painted in the torchlight, flung itself at him, its jaw open in an obscene smile, one hand clawing at his eyes.

_I'm about to die. _Another arm dug into his shoulder, drawing blood. The pain leant his mind a brief moment of clarity, and he grasped the slick hilt of his sword with both hands.

"NOT LIKE THIS!" Driven by pure terror, Aden ripped his arms away from his attackers and stepped forward. The chamber erupted into golden light as he swung his sword horizontally, his momentum spinning him in a circle. Skeletal wraiths flew back and exploded under the assault, and Aden sank to his knees as the light faded from his weapon.

His nerves were on fire. His trembling body glistened with sweat, and no amount of air seemed to fill his lungs.

_I'm gonna die, I'm about to die… _Aden raised his eyes, he was alone, and the door ahead of him had opened. "I'm alive…" _Count to five, stay alive. _He counted slowly, waiting for another attack, another swarm.

_Not a swarm. _His mind told him. _Thirteen… only thirteen._

"Five. Count to five, I'm still alive." Aden stood and ran to the door; it didn't matter where it led, so long as it was away from here._ Gale, where are you?_

Thankfully he encountered no undead, although he kept his sword out just in case. The door closed behind him as he emerged in a long hallway that slanted downward from right to left. Aden was debating whether to go up or down when a strange _whomp! _sounded, followed by a high-pitched scream.

"Gale? Is that you, can you hear me?" From out of the shadows the redhead appeared, a dagger in each hand, and a bow and quiver strapped to her back. Aden had never been so happy to see anyone in his entire life.

"Yes I can hear you, run you idiot!" She screamed as she barreled past him. Aden squinted back the way she'd come, and immediately bolted after her; a large black sphere was chasing her, noiselessly gliding over the stones.

"What is that thing?"

"Why don't you stop and find out?"

Aden pushed his legs harder. "What did you do? Why is it chasing us?"

"I did do anything, I just walked in here, and it because we're downhill, twit!"

"Vixen!"

"Moron!"

"Bloated old hag!"

"Rotten two-headed, son-of-an addle-brained, tick-infested, flea-bitten, filthy gutter-dwelling, three-eyed rat!"

"Door!" Aden pointed ahead at a small wooden opening in the side of the wall.

"Good man! Now let me through!"

Gale put on a burst of speed and ducked under the crevice. Praying it didn't lead to another trap, Aden darted after her. On the other side of the portal, the sphere shot by them.

"Gale…" He said, collapsing onto the cool stone. "You have no _idea _how glad I am to see you…"

"Feeling's mutual… So what happened to you? Your arm's covered in blood."

"I was attacked by Stalfos that didn't die, one of 'em got me in the shoulder but it's not serious, it just took a while for the bleeding to stop." Aden opened his eyes, Gale was on her hands and knees, her arms covered in what looked like bite marks. "And you?"

"I was caught by these gross tentacle things, they kept trying to get on top of me and eat me."

_Lucky tentacles._ "Gale, I don't mind telling you this: I'm scared."

"I don't blame you. I hate this place…"

Aden stood. "Okay, now which way?" The room they were in had three exits; one on each side, and one straight ahead. "Hmmm… Right."

"You don't want to go that way, according to the map it's a dead-end room, probably a trap."

"Map." The smile plastered across Aden's face could've scared children. Twitching his sword, he turned; Gale was standing, studying a scroll of tanned parchment, oblivious to his distress. "A map… You have a _map_?" He was certain she was smirking behind the paper. "I wandered around, lost down here, and you had a _map_? Where'd you find it?"

"Two rooms down from where I found the bow, which was four rooms left and down from where I found you. One thing's odd though…" Turning the scroll so he could see, she pointed at a room on the first floor; a large white skull occupied the square. "That appeared shortly after I found this; I don't know what it means."

Aden studied the map for a moment. "I do, that door's locked with a lock bigger than most. We won't get in unless we have the right key."

Gale burst out laughing. "Eh-heh… Like this one?" She said, reaching down the front of her tunic and pulling out a large golden key shaped like a skull. Aden resisted the urge to slap her.

"Anything else I should know about?"

"Only that you were walking in circles for half an hour while I had a map to guide me…"

Gale was on the verge of giggling fit when Aden asked, "So, think you can guide us back up to that door?"

"Sure, come on."

_Mazes are ridiculously simple when you can keep track of where you are. _Aden thought as Gale, with the help of her incredibly wonderful and equally irritating map, steered them back to the surface. It irked him that she was able to find a map so easily, although she claimed it was far from easy, and a key that was obviously made for this place. The bow he didn't care about as he was out of practice with one anyway.

The torches didn't sputter and die as they had before, although Aden didn't believe for a minute that they were out of danger. This felt like the calm before the storm.

"So whatcha' think is on the other side?" Gale asked as he inserted the key into the melon-sized padlock.

"No idea." The lock broke open and the door creaked inward. "But, here we go…"

Aden wasn't surprised when the door shut behind them. He was, however, surprised at what was on the other side of it: A square room, empty save for one other person.

"Who're you?" Gale blurted. The green robed stranger turned and stared at them with one pearly white eye; the rest of his head was swathed in white bandages. In his black-gloved hands rested an indigo staff.

"My name is Blind. Who are you?"

**Well I hope it was worth the wait. I had so much trouble with this one, but ta-da! Please give me feedback, good or bad, I'll use it to improve.**


	8. The man who Became a Legend

**Well, this chapter was alot of fun to type. I hope it's just as much fun to read.**

**The Man who Became a Legend**

"Name's Aden, she's Gale." Aden gazed openly at the stranger; he seemed to possess an air of coldness, as if all the heat was being sucked from the room. It was something his instincts rebelled against, something inhuman…

The mummy-man stared silently for a moment, then shrugged and turned his back on them. "I was hoping it was a hero, pity."

"Gee, he's a happy little chatter box." Gale remarked, "Hey, what're you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question, what's a pair of scrawny whelps doing in this place?"

"Oh you know," Aden smirked, happy to needle someone, "what all young people do these days: find a spooky dungeon, run around in it for an hour or two, and hope they don't get killed."

Blind twisted around to fix him with his one gleaming eye. "Ah, I see… and the Pendent of Courage has nothing whatsoever to do with it?" Aden's smile vanished. "You know I honestly expected more… well just more from someone who was trying to restore that little charm."

Gale blinked. "You were expecting us?"

"Of course. I was at the graveyard looking for something when you rode by, and I sensed the traces of magic in the pendent, which, it just so happens that I'm also after."

_He's the one that was following us! I knew we were being watched… _Aden ground his teeth; how had he been able to remain undetected all this time? Blind ignored his dilemma.

"Okay, so now that we're all together, would you mind telling me just what you're doing?"

"Well I was working a little magic to try and force the pendent to appear, but since that failed, I'm moving on to plan B…"

"And that is…?" Gale prompted.

"Go through the hassle of killing you two and just taking it from your corpses."

"Oh well, you see that's a problem." Aden muttered, readying his weapon. "You see in order for that plan to work, you'd have to actually be _able _to kill us."

"Well aren't we confident today…" Blind chuckled, stabbing his staff into stone. "It's always the littlest dogs who have the biggest mouths. Very well pup, show me your power…"

_Who does this guy think he is? And what's that sound? _Aden charged forward and swung his sword straight down, Blind sidestepped the blow at the last moment, pirouetting like a dancer. "Thrust, twist, strike." He mumbled a split-second before Aden executed the attacks.

Every move the bandaged man made resulted in a grinding pop, not unlike that of breaking rock. Aden bared his teeth and attacked again, sweeping his blade low. Blind raised one foot and hopped nimbly over the swipe. "You boy, are arrogant, impulsive, and weak."

"I'm arrogant? You won't even fight back, stop mocking me!"

"I'm not mocking you," Blind said, stepping just out of another thrust, "I just know that young men like you have a lot of energy, so I'll let you work it off."

"You're not taking this seriously!"

"Why should I?" Blind reached out and slapped the sword away, as one might an irksome fly. "You have some experience in swordplay; I'll give you that much, but aside from winning, there's no real drive to you- and the moves of a foe who doesn't know why he fights are predictable."

Out of the corner of his eye Aden saw Gale now had her bow out and was slowly reaching for an arrow, and for an absurd moment he wondered where she got them. "Predictable my foot!" He spat, slashing diagonally.

Blind made no move to stop or evade the attack. The sword slammed into his hip, and stopped, quivering. "What's the matter?" He asked, as though nothing was amiss, "I left you an opening, why won't you take it?"

_Come on! _Aden willed his arm to move, but his muscles simply would not obey. Blind cocked his head.

"Well runt? Go ahead, kill me, if you can."

"Shut up!" Aden turned the blade of his sword and swung up, intending to cut Blind's hand off. The weapon bashed into its target and bounced back. Gale froze, her bow half nocked, and Aden took several steps back as the shock of the impact scurried down his arm.

Aden was the first to find his voice. "What-how- who…?"

Blind's only visible eye gleamed, "I know, scary isn't it?" He clenched his fingers into a spikey fist, popping all the while.

"You're not human!" Gale cried. Blind nodded.

"I haven't been human for years now; ever since I went to Death Mountain ages ago."

Aden felt his blood turn cold, Gale's face was a similar mask of horror. "You don't m-mean… You're _the _Blind?" He breathed, "The great thief, who ruled Kakariko? _That _Blind?"

Blind inclined his head. "I see my reputation precedes me." Gale instantly fired off her arrow, the shaft bounced off his throat as if he were made of lead. "Hm, that didn't work." He laughed, extending his hand in her direction. The hand pulsed, and Gale flew back into the wall and crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Aden was mesmerized. The thief Blind was a figure shrouded in myth and legend; a thief among thieves who made his base in Kakariko town right under the noses of the law, and survived thus. _But…_

"But you're dead! I _know _you died!"

"And how would a common stranger know if I died?" Blind asked, "Last time I checked, the old stories say I disappeared while searching for the Golden Power, like so many others. They never said I was dead…"

"I know because…" Aden paused, now wary; what would he say? 'My father killed you' would probably just make him angry…

"You know what, boy? _Nothing, _absolutely nothing…" Blind laughed, "Nothing about me, my powers, or that pendent; you're in over your head, and now it's about to cost you dearly." Popping with every step, he strode forward and seized Aden by the wrist.

Aden yelled as Blind's fingers dug into his flesh, scraping through the skin. But he barely had time to raise his sword before he was released. Gasping he shook his head to clear the shock from his senses and squeezed his fingers; five shallow cuts oozed in the torchlight. Looking up he saw Blind gazing at his hand, the black cloth now stained crimson.

"Blood doesn't lie, but in time even heroes die…" He whispered, transferring his eye back to Aden. "It's all there, the eyes and hair are black, but the shape of that nose, that build, and that defiant air…"

_Uh-oh…_

"Boy! You miserable, wretched child! You're _his _runt, aren't you?" The bandages encircling his head seemed to stretch taut across his face as Blind spoke, then the anger drained away from him like rainwater falling down a roof. "What's your name again lad?"

It took a moment for Aden to find his voice. "Aden. So you are _the _Blind…"

"Aden… I always wanted revenge on Link, but his bouncing baby brat… Die well Aden."

Aden felt the air rush out of his lungs as he flew back under a fist that was suddenly the size of a watermelon. His back screamed in agony upon the icy stone, and he lay there, trying to both catch his breath, and comprehend what hit him.

"Up." Blind commanded. "Get up Aden! I know one blow couldn't kill you, get up or I start on the girl."

Steeling himself against the pain, Aden pushed himself to one knee, then shakily to his feet. "Okay, let's see you do that twice…" _One step…_ Blind jogged at him with an almost lazy stride. _Ease one foot forward, hold the blade horizontally, and spin!_ Aden spun, and Blind ducked under the sword and smashed another giant fist into his chest. This time Aden saw that his hands were in fact, glowing, but why hadn't that move worked? When he'd fought the Stalfos the blade had lit up, he was sure of it!

Picking himself up again, Aden closed his eyes. "Alright, I know the form's right, so what's…?" _Oh! _It came to him then: concentration. When he fought the Stalfos he'd been sure he was about to die, the desire to live had consumed him. _So then…_

"If you're done praying…" Blind muttered, rushing to attack. "Let's go!"

"One," Aden stepped forward once. _Concentrate, beating him is everything or you die, he's nothing to me. _"Two…" Blind stepped within range. _Concentrate! I will not lose to someone like him! "Three, I WON'T LOSE!"_ The chamber was cast in dazzling golden light as Aden spun. Blind's pale eye widened in recognition…

Aden sank to one knee under the force of his own move. "W-whi…" He took a deep breath, "Whirling Blade Technique."

"Very good, boy." Aden's jaw dropped as the light faded and Blind stood, popping his neck loudly. "I felt that, a little _too_ much. Now do you have any other tricks to share?"

_How? _This was impossible; Blind's clothes weren't even cut, he was completely unharmed. "W-what are you…?" Then the shock cleared from his mind and he stood, hoisting his weapon. "Once more!"

"No…" Blind was before him instantly, "It's too late, you've shown your hand!" A gloved fist crashed into Aden's cheek, another planted itself in his gut, an elbow jammed into the back of his neck, and a knee slammed into his chin, lifting him off the ground.

_So fast… _Ten iron fingers wrapped around his ankles and the world dissolved into a whirlwind of color before Blind released him. Aden screamed out loud as the wall rushed up to meet him…

-8-

"Ouch…" Blind popped when Aden impacted with the stone. "Ho ho, that looked _painful._" Aden bounced once against the floor before landing with a heavy thud, his right hand no longer clutching his sword. "Well that was fun-" Blind stopped when he felt something warm and wet slide down the front of his robe, he knew at once what it was: blood.

"Lousy kid!" He growled starting toward Aden's prone form. "If he's even half as troublesome as his dear daddy he'll find a way to derail my plans." Of course this worked out double for him; killing the boy and his friend would cause the pendent to appear. _Two birds, one stone…_ "Huh?"

Aden sat up. Without a word the boy picked up his sword, stood, and vanished.

"Wha-" Blind sank to his hands and knees as the blade sliced through his abdomen and the boy reappeared behind him. Being versed as he was in magic, the bandaged thief instantly recognized what happened; the boy's aura had changed drastically, from almost nonexistent, to a crackling shroud of energy… A very familiar energy.

"_You…!" _

"Aden did well to make it here, and he did well against you, considering his strength. I think he deserves the Pendent of Courage."

"His strength, feh!" Blind motioned toward Gale, still bleeding slightly from where she'd hit her head. "He couldn't make it here alone, not like you."

"I had someone helping me too, she just couldn't be there in person." His tone turned cold, "You haven't changed, Blind. All you care about is yourself, bearing that in mind, what'll you do? If you fight me, you'll die."

Blind rose, unsteady, limping over to his staff he turned to stare at his enemy. There was no fear, pain, or doubt in the set of his shoulders. "As dying twice holds little appeal for me, I'll take my leave,_ Majesty."_

A moment later he was gone.

-8-

"Aden, Aden wake up! Wake up, damn you!" Aden cracked open one eye, what appeared to be a blurred fireball was hovering over him… very strange, but it's voice was familiar. The fireball spoke again, "Aden if you don't get up this minute, I'll kill you, I swear it!"

_Nope, just Gale._ He thought as she came into focus. Oddly enough, for a moment her brown eyes looked worried, then he came fully around.

"You idiot! You complete, utter moron! Do you have any idea what I had to do to wake you up?"

Aden sat up, rubbing his neck. "Did any of it involve taking your clothes off?"

"No."

"Then I'm not interested."

Gale punched him on the jaw. "You pervert, I had to use the potion that old guy gave us, and even then I wasn't sure you'd make it. You realize you had three broken ribs, and a twisted ankle?"

"I do now." Aden felt like he was missing something. "Blind! What happened to-" He scanned the room, the door was open and they were alone. "-that freak…?"

"That freak is gone." Gale said, puzzled. "You mean you didn't beat him?"

"Uh-uh, he knocked me out." He shook his head, trying to make sense of what happened, "Maybe after he knocked us out he took the pendent and left?"

Gale shook her head, Aden noticed that it was now healed and surmised that was where the rest of the potion had gone. "We still have the pendent, and look at this…" She said, holding up the pendent. The once black metal was now bright green. "It was glowing when I woke up."

Aden studied the now glittering charm, the longer he stared the more a single thought blotted out all others.

_What have we gotten ourselves into?_

_-8-_

**What indeed? Send me feedback or the terrorist ninja bunnies will visit you! No, really, I want to know how well I'm writing and how well the story is, so please. If you don't like reviews PM me but please don't make me turn those bunnies loose...**


	9. The God's Light

**To those waiting with held breath, be not a-feared, I have graced you with an update, enjoy and give me feedback, please.**

**The God's Lights**

_The rain finally stopped. _Reaching out, Zelda unlatched her window and pushed it open, admiring the stained glass Triforce at its edges. Outside the moon was hesitantly peeking from behind the clouds, casting pale beams of silver upon the castle gardens below. "Come on, don't be shy, come on out." She whispered to the moon, brushing the strands of gray and blond hair from her eyes. "The rain stopped, so no need to be scared… It's been so long since I told him that."

She could still remember the feel of him shaking in her arms, still remember how he'd bury his face against her shoulder with every strike of the lightning, how his small body quivered when the sky roared with thunder… and when it had finally stopped and she'd convinced him to open the window, how huge his eyes had become at the sight of the moon.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the dark blanket yielded and the castle was illuminated. Zelda smiled at the recollection; he was four then, now he'd be a young man, if he was still alive… Sighing sadly, the queen put her head on the wet sill. _With Link gone, the hope for my boy's all that's left… Aden, are you alive, and if so, what are you doing now, my little knight?_

-8-

"Midsummer storms, you can never predict them…" Aden crawled out from the tree they'd been hiding under, and stretched his arms. Behind him Gale mimicked the action, grumbling to herself as her back popped.

"Why did it have to rain? Of all times for a storm…"

"Don't whine or it'll start again." Aden glanced at the moon, hanging just behind the clouds. "It's strange, but there wasn't a single cloud in the sky earlier today."

Gale brought the horses up, "Maybe it was 'Mummy-Monster?'" She asked, wrapping an old tunic around her head. The sight was so funny, Aden couldn't help but laugh.

"If you're going to imitate someone, do it right; Blind was much uglier… But that's not bad." His smile vanished. "We really shouldn't be making fun of him- to put it bluntly, he beat us. We only survived through some combination of luck and miracles."

"I still say you must have amnesia or something; it had to have been you who beat him, are you sure you weren't sleep-fighting?"

"I already told you no. Blind threw me into a wall, after I hit him with the Whirling Blade Technique."

"The what?"

Aden pursed his lips thoughtfully. "That's right, I didn't tell you. Basically it's a spinning move, I'll show you." Drawing his sword, he took deep breath and backed away from the horses, with the blade parallel to the ground. _Ok, one step, concentrate and… _Aden squinted as the roadside was lit up; the golden light seemed to cut through the very night. "It's not that hard to do, once you know how." His left foot landed heavily. "But it is a little hard to control."

Gale shook her head, blinking like an owl. "And that didn't work? A light show like that should cut down just about anything."

"No, it didn't even faze him." Aden sighed and mounted his horse, "I think… we should meet with Regime, he'll be able to help us with Blind. I hope."

"You really think he'll help us?" When he nodded, she moaned. "Karkariko's at the other end of Hyrule… The old fart couldn't pick a closer spot?" Gale ran a hand through her short bangs. "Oh boy…"

Aden hastily spurred his mount forward, there was something in her voice that piqued his curiosity, but he didn't dwell on it; he knew from her tone not to pry –Gale had her secrets, just like he had his.

-8-

_Interesting… very, very interesting… _The clear, soupy liquid swirled endlessly around his bandaged form. "I never would've imagined Link would have a son, and then I find out it's that runt." Blind purred, submerging his head. _What an odd turn of events, fate does have a sense of humor after all._

The circular pool seemed to stretch to infinity, but the potion that filled it sustained him, so down he swam -the bandages burning away in the hot magic, and for a moment his body shone, white against the black tile before his medicine did its work.

_I wonder who told the boy about the Pendent of Courage. I'll have to assume he knows about the others…_ Two milky white eyes opened beneath amber bangs. The bottom of the bath was a mural of the Triforce in gold and black. As delicate as a bird, he alighted in the center. _Link touched you last, and wished for peace, but where did you go? One triangle was shattered into three lights, another into seven, and the final one was placed in a sword. Yes, that was supposed to be the end of it all…_

Blind kicked upward, his face blank. _Link wanted it to end then and there, but you don't always get what you wish for, my old friend. I cannot attack Aden directly- _He broke the surface with barely a ripple, and gazed at the door that led to the rest of his domain; hanging next to it were his clothes, his gloves still caked in dried blood. "But then, I don't really have to anymore… I'll destroy him without even lifting a finger."

-8-

**This one was short, but it was destined to be from the beginning -besides quality over quantity; it should give you plenty to think about, and plenty to review about.**


	10. The Road of Memories

**Well that wasn't too long of a wait, was it?**

**The Road of Memories**

"Lousy, no good, son of a –When I get my hands on that Gibdos wannabe, I'll cut him into as many itsy-bitsy pieces as I can and feed him to an Octorock!" Gale let out a loud laugh. "Yeah, I'll put his eye on a stick, and for his legs I'll…"

Aden tuned her out. He supposed it was the monotony of being on the road, but the redhead had developed a new hobby: fantasizing about murdering Blind in ever increasing, and varied ways. She'd been at it for the past two nights, and he was beginning to wonder if she'd ever stop –or run out of ideas, for that matter.

"I'll turn his legs into a pulley and hang him with his own bandages!"

_She'll die of old age before she runs out of ideas. _In truth Aden knew it was his fault for her current pastime; he had suggested they take the southern route to the town. Hyrule was centered around its castle, and on the eastern end were the hills where they'd just come from, below that was Lake Hylia, and the southern marsh, surrounded by cliffs in the southwest was the Desert of Mystery. He sighed; Karkariko was just north of those cliffs, nestled snugly below the Lost Woods –at the very opposite end of the kingdom. The only way to reach it was to go around the castle and its patrol routes, that meant they could go back the way they'd come and turn south at the Lost Woods, or they could follow the almost straight road that ran north of the lake, marsh, and desert. The flat path meant they could cover much more ground, but it also meant there was almost _nothing _to look at -hence Gale's new game.

"I'll use his head for a rupee jar…"

_Actually that one's a good idea. Hm? _Something had appeared on the horizon, it was still too dark, even for him, to make out what it could be, but as they drew closer and the blackness of night began to turn to dawn, the structure was revealed.

"Wonder who lives here?" Gale yawned.

"Don't know." Aden dismounted; the small house was situated on a hill,the worn roof may have been red once but years of exposure to the elements had taken their toll, the corroded building looked like no one had used it for years, and yet it still stood, a silent sentinel over the road.

"Hellooooo!" No one answered and Gale yawned again, "I don't think anyone lives here anymore."

Aden ignored her and gently pushed open the rotted door, she was right, not a soul in sight. Still, this place felt off to him –it felt like the old place still had someone in it. This place was old, untouched, and maybe it was better left that way. Maybe it was better that the bones of this house weren't disturbed…

"Hey, are you gonna come in, or just stand there looking stupid?" Aden blinked, snapping out of his thoughts, Gale was already inside and dusting off the bed in the far corner. "There's only one bed, and I ain't sharing with you, so you get the floor. This place isn't much but it'll keep us out of the heat of the day."

"Yeah…" Aden sighed and went to the far wall, he wasn't sure why but he'd have given her the bed anyway, if she'd just asked. Still, as he watched her stretch out on the bed a smile came to his face. "Hey, what was it two people say to each other when they're about to sleep together?"

Gale's head turned sharply in his direction. "We are _not _about to sleep together!"

_I'll bet even her daggers are glaring daggers at me. _"Well by all means, stay awake if you want, but I'm going to sleep. Sweet dreams, Fireball."

"I hope you have nightmares."

-8-

The young blond man sat up in bed, his hair soaked in sweat, at the table his uncle stood, the family sword in his hand and shield on arm.

"Link, I'll be back by morning. Don't leave the house." He commanded, striding out the door.

"Don't leave the house, don't leave the house…" Link muttered, pacing around the one-room house, outside the lightning flashed, "Don't leave the house." He repeated, his conviction weakening with every step. "Don't leave the house, don't leave… That girl, the princess what was her name? Zel-da…" Thunder boomed, and Link flinched as though he'd been stung, "They're both in trouble…" Without a second thought, he plunged into the storm.

-8-

_Link…_ Aden opened his eyes. It was the middle of the day, with Gale sleeping peacefully, muttering something about Altos, whatever that was. Outside a bird chirped, the peace was wasted on him while that name bounced around in his head. Making as little noise as possible he partially drew out his sword and held it before his eyes, fixing the image of his younger father in his mind.

"We look nothing alike." He whispered after a moment's contemplation. Gale still groaned, and rolled over in her sleep.

_I wonder… I'm a thief, but I'm trying to break out -would you be proud of me, dad?_

To that he had no answer.

-8-

"Wow… That's amazing…" Gale pointed ahead. "Aden look, _trees!_"

Aden slowly drew a hand over his face. "I know; there's been nothing but grass and rocks for miles, incredible that we should actually see something _else, _and according to the map, Karkariko is just on the other side."

Gale stopped her horse in its tracks. "Yeah, uh Aden about that…" Aden frowned, either he was hallucinating or she looked _scared. _"I thought it over and I've decided I'm not going in with you."

"Why not?" He'd never seen Gale so nervous, she was biting her bottom lip, and breathing harder than usual.

"I just… don't want to, is all."

"Don't want to, or can't?"

Gale treated him to a sour look. "Don't want to, and why is none of your business, got it?" She snapped, and without waiting for an answer, she spurred her horse onward.

"Gale, wait." The thief stopped her mount and tilted her head.

"What?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, there are just people there that really do not like me."

Aden opened his mouth, and closed it again. "You know you can trust me, right?"

"Yeah," Gale turned to face him, and he was surprised to find that she looked almost sad, "I do. But I'm still not going in with you, please don't ask why. It's not your mistake."

_Mistake? _Aden almost asked what she meant –_almost._


	11. The Book of Ancients

**Look what I left you for Easter, enjoy and don't forget to say thanks. (Unless you don't like Easter, in which case just enjoy and happy un-birthday)**

**The Book of Ancients**

"I've been waiting for you." Regime stood just outside the town gates, his arms folded behind his back. "You took a little longer getting here than I expected. Do tell, was the path difficult?"

"No, not really, just long." Aden turned toward Gale. "Are you sure you-?"

"Yes I'm sure." She said curtly, looking anywhere but the town. "I'm not going in with you."

Aden sighed, he didn't understand what had put her on edge, but so be it; this was her decision. To Regime he shrugged helplessly. "You heard the lady. She won't be coming into town with us, and don't even think of trying to convince her otherwise –she'll kill us both if you do."

"Don't tempt me."

The old man shook his head. "It's all right, you're the one I want to speak to Aden. She's irrelevant."

_Many things Gale may be, but irrelevant is not one of them._ Aden braced himself for a retort from her, but the redhead didn't reply; she seemed lost in her own thoughts. "Well, see you later." Gale glanced at him once and uttered a half articulated grumble.

"Please come with me." Regime flashed his teeth in another perfect grin, before turning on his heel and striding past the gates. Aden gave Gale one last concerned glance and slowly followed.

Kakariko had grown some over the years, but it was still a relatively sleepy town with a few vendors and merchants. Several times Aden was tempted to try and snatch something, but he held back, for the moment.

Of all the places he had thought he'd be taken, the library was low on his list; he'd never been much of a reader, he lacked the required patience. But as he dismounted and followed Regime into the building, he couldn't suppress a small gasp at the wealth of written knowledge he saw.

The old man led them to a small reading desk with two chairs by the far window, upon which sat a single green book. Humming a nameless tune to himself he sat and reclined, for once just looking like a regular old man. "You have the Pendant?"

Aden slouched in his seat and nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Ah, very nicely done…"

"And?"

Regime closed his eyes and smiled, "And was it easy to get?"

"No." Aden tapped a finger on the arm of his chair. "I nearly died several times to get that Lucky-Charm-Thingummy."

"Oh really? Tell me all about…"

"Gale was attacked by monster tentacles. I was nearly ripped apart by crazy fairies, skeletons, and Cyclops, flattened, and a mummified freak beat me to a bloody pulp!" Aden was sure to keep his voice low so no one's unwanted ears would overhear.

"And yet you sit here, triumphant in the end."

"Yeah, I guess so… Now I suppose you'll tell me what the point was in all this?"

"Patience is not your strong suite..." The elder cracked open an eye. "Tell me, what do you know about the Golden Power?"

"The Triforce? Only that it's a symbol of the gods, and that it supposedly grants wishes." Aden blinked. _What does that have to do with the Pendant of Courage?_

"Correct." Regime smiled brighter than before. "Would you humor an old man and let me start from the beginning? It's not often I get to tell stories."

"Go ahead, geezer, I'll listen."

"Excellent!" The old man straightened. "Now then, you remember the tales about the Golden Land of the Triforce? And how eventually only greedy men tried to reach it?" Aden nodded. "Well, after a while, a man named Ganondorf Dragmire succeeded, and used it to build an army to try and conquer Hyrule. The knights of Hyrule fought back, and though many of them died, they bought the King's seven wise men enough time to magically seal Ganon in the tainted Golden Land –later renamed the Dark World."

_Yeah, the Imprisoning War. I've heard this tale a long time ago…_

"After many years of peace and tranquility, in which Hyrule healed its wounds, new disasters struck; drought, pestilence, and such –even though the Dark World was still sealed. In response to this a wizard named Agahnim appeared and quelled the chaos with his magic. For a time it seemed as though peace had returned, but the wizard proved to be a traitor; he began collecting the descendants of the original seven wise men, and made them vanish into the Dark World one after another. The final descendant was, of course, the Queen, then a princess."

_Mother… _"And now we come to the part where this all relates to me, and my current situation."

"If only your blade was as fast as your ability to run out of patience… Very well, the details are sketchy on how this happened but a young man named Link actually broke into the castle dungeon, freed the princess, and later returned and defeated Agahnim."

"Enter dad, and I still don't know what this has to do with me…"

"The hero who defeated the wizard wielded a special sword known as the blade of evil's bane. After defeating both Agahnim and Ganondorf he returned the Master Sword to its resting place in the Lost Woods." Aden sat up, and Regime laughed. "Listening now? In order to awaken that ultimate weapon three virtues are needed in a person to prove their worth, this is done by obtaining three pendants: Courage, Power, and Wisdom."

"I already have Courage, so Power, and Wisdom next?" The old man nodded.

"The book in front of you is called the Book of Mudora, you can use it to translate ancient Hylian. The Pendant of Power is locked in a dungeon in the desert, and you'll need that to open the lock."

Aden picked up the emerald tome carefully, thinking. Many things now made sense, like why the sword in the forest refused to budge, and more importantly just what it was. _If dad was able to get it, then I should be able to get it too._ "You seem to know a lot Regime, so tell me, does the name Blind ring a bell?"

Regime appeared puzzled. "Blind? The thief king that served Ganon? Yes, Link killed him if I recall. Why?"

"Well he's not as dead as you'd think, he attacked me and Gale in the Eastern Palace."

"Really…" Regime closed his eyes thoughtfully for a moment. "Aden…"

"Yes?"

The old man opened his eyes and fixed him with a long, hard stare. "The Hylian inscription on the Master Sword's pedestal reads thus: 'The Hero's triumph on cataclysm's eve, wins three symbols of virtue. The Master Sword he will then retrieve, keeping the knight's line true.' It originally referred to Link, but… I think it may also point to you. If Blind is still alive, be on your guard; a fiend like that is not to be taken lightly."

-8-

Blind let out a deep sigh. Before him, an eight pointed star was carved into the stone, and within the blood red design rested a Stalfos, the skeletal warrior deathly quiet and still.

"The final preparations are ready." Blind nodded as a young woman with short brown hair appeared by his side. "You can proceed with the ritual when ready, master."

"Good work Miko, we'll begin now. I'll need you to supply the energy for this or I won't have enough to maintain my mortal form."

Without a word, Miko placed a hand on his shoulder. "If I remember, this ritual is short, but draining."

"Yes." Blind returned his attention to the Stalfos and knelt, placing his palms at the edge of the star. "Are you ready?"

"Ready master."

"Then three, two, one…"

The Stalfos let out a high, bloodcurdling screech and began thrashing around, though the creature's arms and ankles remained bound by the magic.

Blind immediately felt the strain on his body, at his shoulder Miko's hand went weak. But the worst was over, the ritual was proceeding on its own now. The crimson star was melting, oozing into the Stalfos and dying the bone red, as though the monster was a sponge. Over the next few minutes muscles and tissues began to weave together, covering semi-formed organs. Blind shut his eyes as the strain became too great to bear, then all at once, it was over.

"He's beautiful…" Miko breathed. Blind opened his eyes; where the Stalfos had once been now sat a young man in the prime of his youth.

"Clothe him." Blind commanded. At once, Miko was at his side, laying a robe over his shoulders. He didn't seem to mind her presence, busy as he was taking in his surroundings.

"Where…? Who…? Who are you? And where am I?" He asked, blinking in confusion.

"That's Blind –the one who made you."

"But who are _you_?" He asked.

I'm Miko, yours forever. If you ever want anything I'll give it to you. Just ask, whatever your heart desires, I'll give it to you, I swear."

"But my heart desires nothing." He replied, rubbing his middle, "It's my stomach that desires."

The brunette was up in an instant. "Yes of course. I'll get you something right away."

Blind watched her leave the room, her expression one of worshipful adoration. "She seems quite taken to you…"

"You're Blind, right?" The raven-eyed man tried to stand, but barely made it to one knee before collapsing.

"Easy… You're not used to a physical body yet, it'll take a little time." Blind extended one hand to help him up. "However, once you are used to it, there's a boy I want you to kill. Think you'd enjoy that?"

-8-

**It's ALIVE! Oh, sorry, wrong scene. Well this chapter was awfully fun to write. Please tell me what you think.**


	12. A Coin for your Ear

**Hello again! Enjoy and don't be afraid to tell me how bad (or maybe even good) this is.**

**A Coin for your Ear**

"'M' is swirly-swish with two dots… So this word is 'Meldarc'" Aden sighed; ancient Hylian was a pretty looking language, but there were so many strange symbols and names to it, so many different ways to pronounce sounds like _ah _and _uh _that it made his head spin. Still, the Book of Mudora enthralled him like nothing else had. He was so lost in the alien tome that he didn't notice the sun sinking lower and lower over the sky; it wasn't until the pages began to turn orange that he raised his head; outside the sun sat gently on the horizon, setting the town aglow in auburn light.

_You know that looks kind of purdy…_ _Gale won't be happy about this. _Despite knowing he had to, Aden just couldn't bring himself to rise, yet; it was so lighthearted here, there was so much peace and laughter, so much joy that, after weeks of travel and mortal peril, it was intoxicating. _Hm… I don't have to go back to her right away, besides we could use a few extra supplies, especially if we're headed for a desert._

Aden stood, and headed for the door, popping his stiff neck. _We're probably gonna need a mule or something to carry that much water. _Of course there was no guarantee that Gale would even come with him. She'd agreed to go to the Eastern Palace because of profit, and he was sure that whatever trial waited ahead would be equally lucrative, but it would be every bit as dangerous. And of course that wasn't even counting the desert itself…

Although he hoped she would, as he strode through town, Aden knew that he wouldn't blame her if she said no –it was a crazy, almost suicidal, journey. _She'll say no. She's a risk-taker, but unlike me she has no deeper reason for traveling like this. _And with a small smile. _She's not an idiot like me._

Mounts and pack animals were going for three hundred rupees apiece. The outrageous price left Aden with very few options. Steal the supplies and buy a mule, steal enough money to buy everything, or ask Gale for money. _Riiiight…_ _If I try to cross the desert alone I won't need a mule. _He thought; Gale would have to let him know if she was joining him, before he could make any decisions. Aden turned away from the stall, and froze. _Speak of the devil… _In the bright glow of the sunset he could clearly make out the redhead, although he doubted anyone else could. _Gale? What are you up to? _The little fireball was sticking to the shadows, making an effort to avoid detection. She was doing a good job too, unless you knew what to look for.

More than a little curious, Aden followed from a safe distance. She didn't come into town with him, which meant there was something she didn't want him to see, well now was his chance to find out what it was.

"Coin for your ear? Coin for your ear!" Aden pressed himself flat against the darkness as Gale stopped before a small wooden hut surrounded by a worn picket fence. Sitting against the gate was a ragged man in a dirty hat and a mud brown cape. "Coin for your ear stranger, a meager ten rupees and Castor will play anythin' you want to hear." He said, nudging a rusted pail forward.

Aden squinted against the light, in the man's hand was a battered ocarina, and wrapped around his eyes was a strip of black cloth. _Stealing from a blind man is just low, even for us, Gale._

Gale gazed blankly at the bucket for a moment, and deposited two red gems into the pail. "Bluebird's Requiem, please" She said in a very high voice. Aden's jaw dropped; not only had Gale given up money, she'd given up more than what was asked. _This must be her evil- er… good twin sister._

"Can do!" The musician said, bringing the instrument to his lips. Blind he may have been, but Aden had to admit, he was good; the flute's melody was beautiful, almost sad, lingering in his ears longer than it should have, and yet it felt strangely familiar, but from where he couldn't say.

Throughout the performance Gale's air became one of absolute bliss, her expression like that of an overjoyed mother. It was such a startling transformation, the way her eyes slowly closed, and her mouth tenderly turned upwards in a soft smile. Aden sighed in content; she was happy, _truly _happy, just listening to that song.

As the last notes faded to silence the music man raised his head, "Any others? It's another ten but I'll gladly play for the owner of such a lovely voice."

Gale's countenance returned to a blank stare. "No, thank you."

Aden quickly dashed out of sight before she could turn. The last thing he needed was for her to catch him watching her. _I don't want to wind up like Kirk._

All things considered it was probably safest to return to the horses and say he'd been waiting for her, he'd find out how to broach the topic of the musician later, as well as just why that song was so blasted familiar.

The horses were right where they'd left them, picketed just south of town at the edge of the surrounding woods. Aden huffed and sat down against an oak to wait.

It was another hour before Gale returned. Aden thought she looked extremely tired. "I've been waiting for you."

"Uh-huh." The redhead barely spared him a glance as she trudged to her horse and pulled out her bow and quiver. Turning, she nocked one arrow. "Now the only way what you saw doesn't get out is if I kill you right here and now."

Aden pressed himself to his tree. "Saw what?"

"Play dumb and I'll shoot your legs first."

"Okay, okay…" Aden slowly brought his hands up to eye level, the universal sign for 'You win, don't shoot!' "How'd you catch me?"

"I paid someone to follow _you_."

"Clever, for you to pay someone else you must really like that song." Gale was silent. "So why're you gonna kill me over that?"

"I have a reputation to keep, that's all. Nothing personal."

Aden rolled his eyes. "You're worried this'll get back to our old gang, and they'll use him against you."

"Something along those lines, yeah."

Aden glanced toward his horse, she'd kill him before he could reach his sword or escape. _Well if anyone is gonna do me in, at least it's her. _"You must care about that guy a lot, who is he?"

Gale's eyes narrowed, but never left their target. "Close your eyes, and turn your head; this won't hurt as much."

Aden held his head high as she leveled the arrow at his chest, it was impossible for her to miss. "Go ahead, then." The seconds crawled by as she sighted down the shaft. Aden stared at her; intently searching for some sign of weakness, some hesitation to betray her… he found none. The redhead's shoulders were set, her stance firm, and her gaze unwavering. "You're really gonna shoot me!"

"Yup."

"Gale…" He said, ignoring the sweat on his brow. "I would never tell a soul, you know that… You _can _trust me."

Though she didn't lower her bow, Gale was obviously considering it. "I'd like to trust you –to trust _someone_…"

"Then why not me? We've been friends, sort of… We've stolen together, shed blood together, for crying out loud, we nearly died together; if you can't trust me then who can you trust?"

Gale still didn't lower her weapon. "Fate has a funny way of taking what you want most and using it to destroy you."

"I won't betray you, I _will not_."

For a full minute the camp was silent, then, "If you say anything about what you saw, Aden, I will kill you."

Aden watched her carefully as she returned her bow and arrows to her horse. _No inventive method, just the direct 'I will kill you' statement… she's serious._

Gale rubbed her temples. "So what'd the old man have to say?"

"There are three pendants, and the next one is in the southern desert." He expected a complaint, but she just shrugged tiredly. "That musician, who is he?" He asked gently. Gale gave him a dirty look before relenting.

"I'll tell you later, okay. I'm a little tired now."

Aden nodded, pushing for answers now would probably just wind up with him getting shot. But as she grabbed her canteen, one thing did become clear:

The song 'Bluebird's Requiem' was the same song she'd been singing that day at the river.

-8-


	13. By the Sword

**By the Sword**

"Sainen. That will be my name." He decided, gazing at his disheveled reflection in the thin mirror of his sword. "I am Sainen." Behind him Blind chuckled.

"You're so hard on them, my supply of training dummies isn't infinite, you know."

"But they're only toys," Sainen ran a pale hand through his hair, "and this is only training." He said, gesturing to the now destroyed piles of straw and wood that littered the cold stone. "Haven't I proven myself yet? I want out of this boring temple –and what's the point of cutting up targets that don't scream or bleed anyway?"

Aside from a slight tilt of his head Blind didn't respond, but somehow, his question was clear: Why so hasty? The unspoken query hung in the air with the tension only a test could provide, and the newly named swordsman exhaled, aware that his answer could result in his first look at the sun, or several more hours of grueling training.

"I want to see him, to meet him, to test myself against him."

"Yes," the thief king said quietly, "but why?"

"Now I fully know my body's power. I am in full control of all my senses and muscles, but why am I here? Why am I alive? I can't answer that until he and I meet face to face, as men of the sword."

"How regal of you… Miko." At her master's command, the brunette materialized out of the shadows to stand at his side. Sainen still hadn't figured out how she could do that. "My dear, do tell, where is our little Prince of Thieves now?"

"Sire, Aden and his companion are on the move again, they just entered the southern grasslands today. It's humid there but the air from the lake keeps it cool, so they plan to continue on; they'll reach the Desert of Mystery by sometime tonight."

"Assuming they don't stop at nightfall…" Blind tapped his indigo cane thoughtfully. "How does this sound: You keep honing your skills for the next few days in the desert, avoiding the whelp, and when the time is right Miko will take you to him."

Sainen quirked an eyebrow, "What do you mean, 'when the time is right' you corpse?"

"It's either that or you keep training down here out of the light. Take it, or leave it." The darkness of the dimly lit temple grew even more oppressive as he spoke, until finally Sainen grumbled an affirmative. "Excellent!" Blind said, turning to go. "Miko will protect you from the worst of the elements, but it will still be difficult in the hot sand; the perfect graduation exam for you."

Sainen watched his creator go with a blank expression, but beneath the surface a volcano was threatening to erupt. _Another test? What does that freak want me to do, sing? _He was aware of Miko watching him, but he ignored her. _Who am I? _Tearing off his padded training shirt, he pressed his bare back to a nearby pillar, allowing the cool stone to sooth his heated flesh.

_What I've heard and what I know of him doesn't impress me… _With a grunt he raised his blade to catch the dim torchlight. "You better give me what is mine, Aden; give me a reason to live–or it'll be the death of you, I promise…"

-8-

The grass came all the way up to his shins, even on horseback Aden could feel the thin stems tickling his legs. The breeze shifted again blowing moisture from his face as he looked back. Gale had been relatively quiet, preferring to stare at whatever caught her fancy. She hadn't said a word about the man in the town, and the one time he dared to ask, she'd said 'later' and kept riding. Aden was curious, but he knew enough not to push her; she _would _tell him, he was sure, now she was just thinking about _how_ and _when_.

According to Gale the Desert of Mystery wasn't very big –in fact it would only take a day to reach the western ruins on horses, but it was still very dangerous; poison cacti, carnivorous birds, and other not-so-nice things roamed the sand, add the hot sun to dull one's concentration and these obstacles became much more lethal.

Since it wasn't going to be a long trip a mule hadn't been needed, although they did bring extra water. Still, it was shaping up to be a very quiet journey.

"So," Aden began, trying for conversation, "you, uh, obviously know your way around…" Gale gave him a half formed mumble and a distracted nod. "So, how is it you know about the desert? You never mentioned it before."

"I've… been there once." She muttered. "Look, I appreciate that you're trying to draw me out, but this just isn't the time," the redhead cleared her throat, "you've put me in a very dangerous position; I just need to take a little more time to consider everything, okay." She paused with a halfhearted smile on her face. "Tell you what, if ya' wait till we're in the desert, I'll tell you then. It'll take a day to get where we're going and a good story will help pass the time, plus it'll give you something to mull over…"

_She's stalling. _Aden gave her his best comforting smile. "Sure thing." Gale visibly relaxed in the saddle, but the worried look in her gaze left him feeling nervous. What could scare her so badly that she'd be willing to kill him to keep it under wrap? Who was the blind musician, and why was Gale so attached to that song? Why wouldn't she just tell him? _And for that matter, why am I so curious? She said she'd tell me. So I should just relax and let her say it all at her own pace._

Although it was easy to tell himself that, Aden couldn't help but fidget with anticipation; he'd never seen Gale act nervous or emotional. And he was absolutely sure _no one _had ever seen her reaction to the 'Bluebird's Requiem' song –such a drastic, impossible change made her seem like a completely different person. And because of that, she might be hesitant to explain her story, even when they reached the desert. He needed to give her a reason to trust him, a real reason, not just his word. _But how? _The question lulled him into utter submission, and for an hour the only sound were those of the wind tossed marsh bugs, mixed with the muffled thump of hooves, and the grunts and whinnies of their mounts.

A dragonfly perched on his nose. The tickle of its tiny legs caused him to sneeze, dislodging the little water skimmer. Aden watched as the blue insect buzzed about his head indignantly, before deciding Gale's shoulder would be a better spot to rest.

_Such an innocent thing… _He thought when Gale brushed the bug away. _It doesn't know or care about what we're about to try, or what we've already been through. _Aden's eyes grew wide as an idea came to him; Gale wasn't the only one with a few secrets. If he told her… if he told her just enough, then it might be enough to ensure her confidence.

But now the next question: How much should he tell? Too much information would probably be trouble –besides there was one major detail he was sure she didn't need to know, but maybe… if he was careful, it could work.

"Uh… Hey, Gale?" The redhead looked up and focused on him. "I know your story's coming up later, but it's boring _here_."

Gale's eyebrows met in a V, "Aden, don't…"

"So…" He continued slowly, "what if _I _gave you a story, to pass the time till we actually get to the desert?"

Her reaction was more or less what he expected; her lips parted in a quizzical O and one ginger eyebrow arched, but nevertheless, she nodded skeptically.

_Now then. _ Aden cleared his throat. "Well let's see, I was born in winter, nineteen years ago. My mother was a beautiful woman, and my father was as strong and dependable as an old oak, life really wasn't all that bad –a few ups and downs, but things were good. Then my father got sick, my mother begged for help –she even managed to get a few fairies to help, but it didn't work." Aden smirked humorlessly, "I saw my first fairy in a tree, when I was six. The little thing waved her swizzle stick and I felt crazily happy for a week. I never thought such playful creatures knew how to shed tears, but when my dad died, they sat on my mom's shoulders and cried right along with us.

"After a few years my mum sat me down and told me all about my dad, stories I'd never dreamed of… Dear ol' daddy was a master swordsman, he travelled all over Hyrule, laying monsters low with his blade. But one day, he went to look for the Golden Power, the Triforce."

Gale nodded in understanding; everyone who'd gone to look for the Triforce had vanished on the northern mountain, thus earning the mountain its name: Death Mountain. "Then what happened?"

Aden shrugged. "You know the story. King Link went to the Dark World to look for the Golden Power and somehow succeeded, after that a lot of people returned to Hyrule, and my father found his princess."

"Why do you say princess?" Gale asked, blinking.

_Oops… _It took all of Aden's self-control to not let his nervousness show. "Ah, you know… That was what he always called her; him, the Princess and their little knight, me."

Gale actually smiled, "Oh, I see."

"Yeah…" Aden let out a small sigh, silently thanking the Triforce that she'd been fooled. "Well, after I learned what life my father had led, I began to feel out of place at home. It took me a few years, but I eventually left." He let loose a grim chuckle, "Life on the road was much harder than I thought; my dad taught me how to protect myself -he said every boy should know how to throw a good punch, but the ways of the sword I had to learn all on my own. It wasn't easy; I spent countless days walking and hitchhiking from place to place while I got stronger. Then roughly two years ago, I stumbled onto a gang of thieves, beat twelve of them senseless, and got to join up as a prize; there I met a thief named Gale, who was about as nice as a viper."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." The redhead smiled, "It's a good story, but there's one part I don't get. Why did you leave home? It's natural to believe you don't belong somewhere, but people usually get over that…"

Aden licked his lips, trying to compose something that would satisfy her question while still being vague enough to slip her suspicion. "Well, er…" Gale leaned forward expectantly, "Remember when I said I was out to prove something to myself?" A short nod, "Well I said 'mostly' at the end… I saw my dad practice plenty of times, but I only saw him use a sword in combat once. A crazy man attacked us, and my father fought him." Aden knew his eyes were wide, but it no longer mattered. "My dad, who'd rarely ever raised his voice to anyone, was invincible; the duel was over in minutes! He wasted no energy, moved so fluidly, struck with the force of a hurricane, and was so quick it became hard to follow him at all… Learning who he was, and remembering what I saw –I knew I wouldn't be satisfied until I could do the same."

Aden shook his head. "But years have passed, and I'm not even close. If my dad were still alive, he'd crucify me without even breaking a sweat."

"I see…" Gale turned her gaze to the heavens, "is that why you're after these pendant-things?"

"Yeah, that sword we saw in the woods, Link used it –and the three Pendants enable one to draw it." Gale watched him intently. "I was hoping that if I could get it, it would prove I was stronger –even if only a little bit…" Aden noticed her stare, "Do you think it's strange, or funny?"

The ginger shook her head, "No. I understand only too well why you feel the need for more strength…" then she grinned. "It's a good story Aden, but you'll still have to wait until we're in the desert to hear mine, hee, hee!"

Aden shook from silent laughter. "I look forward to it, Pepper-head."

As the day blurred into night, Gale laughed and chatted more and more, the hours sped by unchecked, and it wasn't until the ground became soft and dry that they stopped. The hills and mountains that kept the rain at bay had closed around them, and without water, the plants had mostly died. Overhead the moon was just beginning to wane, and faint flurries of dust and sand could be seen in the silver light. Aden sucked in a shallow breath.

"The Desert of Mystery."

-8-


	14. Sand, Sun, and Cute Killing Machines?

**Sand, Sun, and… Cute Killing Machines?**

An endless sea of golden sand stretched out before his eyes as Aden rolled over and roused Gale. The night had quickly changed from warm to frigid, and the only way to stay warm had been to sleep curled up together. He would've enjoyed laying so close to her, but the strange sounds he'd heard out there –and the knife she had down her shirt, had sobered up any impure thoughts.

_This place is… _Aden couldn't find the words to describe the desert; he'd heard it was unusual, but he didn't think anyplace could have _that much _sand. There weren't even rocks, just a few cacti littered about, and more sand. "I spy, with my little eye, something big and seemingly worthless to the average person."

Gale, fixed her hair, folded up her blanket, and stood. "Yeah, me too: you. We can run the horses at a gallop until mid-morning, then it's walking them until evening."

"Do you think we can really be there and back in two days' time?" He asked, rising to his feet, "This place just goes on as far as the eye can see; we may get lost."

"Not likely. This is the only entrance -and exit. So to find our way back here we just head southeast." She treated him to her most insufferable grin, "Don't worry, as long as momma's here to hold your hand, you'll be okay."

Aden pulled himself onto his horse. "Very funny, you're killing me."

"Well considering I'm the only one here with the guts for it…"

The desert air was warm, but completely dry, as Gale led the way into the wasteland. Aden didn't mind her riding up front. She knew more about the environment, and this way he could stare at her all day and she wouldn't see him. After all, with nothing else but sand, cacti, and a few vultures to watch, his entertainment options were very limited.

And the hours crawled by in silence… Thirst and hunger were endured, and then satisfied… And time rolled on…

Aden was lost in a dream of Gale slowly undressing when two things happened to shake him back to reality: one, the horses balked and stopped in their tracks, and two, Gale dismounted with a curse.

"Oh, Triforce take it! We're over halfway there! They just _had _to come up now…"

Aden scanned the desert, as far as he could tell, nothing had changed. This stretch of gold looked just like the rest of the desert. "Uh, Gale? What are you talking about?"

"Well, we're in trouble."

"We're in a desert, what could be worse trouble than that?"

Gale once again grinned at him, "Someone once told me that there were no stupid questions, just stupid people who asked questions. _Them_, you twit!" She snapped, looking past him.

Aden pulled his horse around and felt his jaw drop; reaching out of the lifeless ground was a hand that was almost as big as his whole body. The hand was made entirely out of sand and was quickly followed by a tree trunk-sized arm.

"Gale… What in the world is _that_?" Another arm joined the first and the human-shaped creature pulled itself to the surface. It had a huge chest and arms, but its perfectly round head was the size of a small ball, and looked almost comical perched atop those mammoth shoulders. Looking around, Aden saw other arms popping up around them.

"Dismount." Gale ordered, "These monsters are called Sandmen, and they obviously only appear here. According to legend an evil spirit lives in the sand that hates humans, the Sandmen won't attack animals, but until we convince the spirit that we're not worth it, they'll chase us relentlessly. The weak point is the head."

Aden dismounted and drew his sword. "Can they be reasoned with? Are they smart at all?" The Sandman before him let out a loud 'BLAROGAH!' scaring the horses. "I guess not…"

Gale already had two daggers out and dashed at the nearest Sandman. Leaping directly between the creature's arms, she rammed one blade into its colorless eye and yanked. The behemoth roared in pain and exploded, sending up a shower of tiny particles.

Aden rolled to one side as a jumbo-sized fist descended upon him. The limb crashed down into the sand, and spurred by an impulse, he jumped onto it and bolted. The sand that composed the monster's hand and arm was packed so densely Aden doubted he could break it with a hammer, but the head gave way to his sword easily, and with no top the Sandman burst apart.

"Not a bad place to be," Aden sidestepped a sweeping arm, "you have the sun, the sand, and-"

"-The cute killing machines…" Gale back flipped out of grabbing reach. "Oh yes, it's just _grand_."

Another monster fell to the sword, "'Cute?' What do you mean 'cute'?"

Two serrated knives sawed through a sandy neck. "Their heads look ridiculous on their bodies; all brawn and no brain-"

"-Don't say it!"

"-like you, Aden."

Aden ground his teeth, and decapitated another enemy; there were only twelve of them total, and this made number four for him. He'd heard that the Desert of Mystery was an incredibly dangerous place, but these creatures weren't all that hard to deal with, so what made it so deadly? He got his answer when another hand rose out of the sand below his feet, and Aden found himself standing on the rock-hard biceps of the beast.

Drawing his sword along his chest, Aden thrust the point into its open maw and cut down. As the humanoid monster exploded he closed his eyes and fell through the flurries of gold, landing on his feet. To an observer, it would seem as though he'd sliced straight through the Sandman.

"You catch that last move? Pretty impressive, huh?"

Gale beheaded her fourth one, laughing. "Sorry, I didn't see. You'll have to do it again."

_She did see that… _The sun was hot and so much movement was beginning to take its toll. Aden knew that her lightheartedness was just an attempt to keep from worrying; more Sandmen just kept hauling themselves out of the earth. What if they never stopped, or what if they only stopped after he and she were utterly exhausted? If they burnt through their energy now they'd never survive.

One Sandman fell and two more reached out to continue the onslaught. With the Stalfos it'd been his fear that made them seem infinite, but here it seemed as though they were battling the land itself. How could they defeat sand in a _desert_?

_Alright, I've had enough!_ "Gale, back to back now!" The redhead slit the throat of her latest foe and fled toward him as four more dog piled onto the spot where she'd occupied moments before. Her back was hot and grainy against his, but then so was everything else.

"I really hope you have a plan 'cause I have no idea when these things will end."

"Yeah I have one, kinda, sort of…" The now twenty Sandmen converged on their position, growling the whole way. "Wrap your arms around me!"

"_What?_"

"Just do it, while there's still time!" Gale growled, but turned and embraced him, taking care that her daggers didn't stab him. "I'm going to spin, I need you to move with me, can you do that?" He felt her nod against his back. The Sandmen bulldozed their way closer to the pathetically small reach of their weapons. _I hope this works… _"This is gonna be rough, NOW!"

_Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate! _The already golden desert was illuminated even further by the technique. Gale slid with him in the loosely packed ground as the first of the monsters threw themselves into the attack, and were split at the chest. "Again!" He cried when more came forth, the two spun in unison and more sand flew into the air. "Again!"

And again.

And again.

And again… The continuous whirling generated a miniature sandstorm, and within the tiny whirlwind the two stood, repelling the murderous hands with pale light. It was all Aden could do to try and keep the miniscule particles out of his eyes long enough to spot the next enemy.

And another spin sent more of the desert into the sky.

_When will they stop? _The sand hung in the air like sparkling fairy dust, then it settled to the ground. _Where's the next one? _He was dimly aware of Gale calling him.

"Aden, Aden? Hello, Hyrule to Aden, is anyone home? They're gone, that was the last one.

_Last one?_ Aden tried to take a step forward and fell flat on his face; everything was still moving…

Gale rolled him over. "Aden? You dead?"

"No, but could you three stop moving?"

The three Gales over him shook their heads. "Close your eyes and try to recover while I get the horses, they're still within sight."

The dizziness was slow to fade, but eventually the world stopped its endless revolving. When he was finally able to open his eyes and sit up, he saw that Gale had returned, leading their mounts. "How come you didn't get dizzy?"

"My eyes were closed, and I kept my head buried in your shoulder. Now how many fingers?"

"One."

The thief rolled her shoulders. "Alright, you're fine. Come on, we should get moving before more of them show up."

_Desert of Mystery… they got that part right, didn't they? _Aden ineffectively brushed at the sand in his hair and hauled himself onto his horse. _Oh what're you complaining about? _He asked when the animal snorted in irritation. _We're the ones who had to do all the work, you coward._

"You know I almost died out here once."

Aden started, Gale was talking to him. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." The redhead mounted and nudged her horse into a trot. "That guy you saw in town… he's my big brother.


	15. Stolen Light the Dead Smile

**Stolen Light; the Dead Smile**

The horse's hooves left a trail of shallow imprints in the sand. Aden was silent as he stared at Gale. For once he wasn't admiring her form, or trying to think up a new verbal thrust or dirty joke, he was just waiting… waiting for her to muster up the courage to tell him her story.

"I was born around the southern end of Karkariko to simple farmers. I'm the younger of two children, with Castor being my elder brother." Gale smiled, but the expression didn't reach her eyes. "Life was hard, but my parents loved each other, and were good to us. For a time, we would help in the garden, and my brother would go into town at the evenings; we had cousin that loved to play the flute, and he'd taught Castor to play."

"So he would play for passerby to make money on the side."

"Right. Once he took me, but I was young and fell asleep on his lap. 'Bluebird's Requiem' was my lullaby." The redhead paused for a moment, and the smile slowly faded from her lips. "Life was hard, but good… Then the drought came, it wiped out the entire farm. Not long after, my dad was killed in an accident: I had taken to stealing to help get the food we needed, a few apples here, a melon there-although I was the only one that knew it. Our family had loaded up what little we still had and headed for the castle with a meager tribute and a plea for help. On the way we encountered a few merchants, and wouldn't you know it, I couldn't resist swiping a few things!

"Unfortunately the items I took unbalanced the cart they were on. It fell on my dad."

Aden swallowed painfully. "I… uh, see… I'm sorry."

For once Gale didn't shrug or smile, she just continued gaze at her own hands. Then, at some unseen single, she seemed to remember he was there. "Yeah, thanks… Anyway, after the accident, we had to return home. It's a sad coincidence, but I later learned that the King had died from health problems on that very day. Kinda… funny, huh?" Her voice made it clear that there was nothing funny about it.

_You have no idea…_

"My mother was very angry when she found out what I'd been doing; she said it was better to live an honest life than one built on taking from others; if I kept stealing, I'd be left with nothing but regret. My mother practically sold herself into servitude to feed us, and for a while I listened, but when she got sick I had to steal so that I wouldn't starve. I think Castor knew, but he understood it was out of necessity this time, so he kept quiet.

"After mom died things just got worse, until I gave up; Castor had been imprisoned for taking a fall that should've been mine, and without him I had no one left. I ran away, into the desert, where I was eventually found by six thieves-or treasure hunters, as they referred to themselves. They'd tried, unsuccessfully, to plunder the ruin here, and after I'd proved my worth to them they brought me along. For a time we preyed on caravans and travelers passing from the town to the lake; the water there is said to be magic, so it was actually pretty lucrative.

"Then one day, I spotted three wagons approaching and singled the others. If only I'd known… we'd done it so many times, how could I've suspected a trap, how could I've known they'd hired private guards? Our merry band was caught off guard and overwhelmed, but I managed to get away by throwing a few bombs into the mess. When I later returned to the scene, I found my comrades and several other people that had been left behind, as I was looting them, one of the corpses not too far away began to move. Can you guess who it was?"

Aden actually felt himself go cold, pity, and apprehension were not common in him now, but he knew enough to recognize them. Gale's next words were soft and sorrowful, and her face was as hard as ice.

"The queen didn't believe the story she'd been told, and got him to spill the beans. Castor was released, but when he returned to our old farm, his baby sister had vanished into thin air. Without the means to support the farm, he sold everything but his flute and a few clothes and became a musician. One of the bombs I'd carelessly thrown to cover my escape had detonated close to his face and rendered him unconscious, and completely blind.

"I never told him who I was, even as I took him back to town. I wrote to the queen for him, begging for help. She was actually quite generous-she remembered the lonely man who'd lied to protect his sister. She gave him a pension and had volunteers build a small house, though it's looking worse now, but I wasn't around to see it; I couldn't stand to look at him, to look at what I'd done to him… I left for the Lost Woods, and hooked up with another gang. But now, I always take care where, and who I rob from."

"You went back to stealing?"

Gale shook her head. "What else could I do? Try to live alongside a disabled brother? It was my only talent, and now it's all I am… I'm a thief, through and through."

Aden's eyes were stinging, the sadness in her voice-the _emotion_, was so certain it'd moved him; he hadn't cried in years, but this… With no shame, he wiped his eyes. "Gale… I am sorry I followed you in town, and I am very grateful that you saw fit to share this with me. I won't tell another soul about Castor, not without your consent."

The redhead nodded. "Thank you, the only other person who knows about this is Kirk, though he doesn't know where my brother is."

"Kirk?" His horse flicked its ears back at his shout.

"I knew him longer than you, and he wasn't bad when I first met him. He got me to open up about this, but later threatened to tell some of the others if I didn't do what he wanted." She shrugged. "I let him think he was about to have his way, then…"

Aden winced, he knew about that part… everyone knew about that part. "You _persuaded _him to keep quiet?"

"You could say that… It's also why I was so worried; Kirk was small fry, put him in his place and he won't say anything. You, on the other hand… if you wanted to use this information, I could stop you-but I don't know what that may cost me; you're strong, quick, and have the uncanny ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat."

"I won't betray you," he gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "I won't." For a few moments they rode thus, then Gale stirred, and he dropped his hand.

"Please don't. I really would hate to fight you." The redhead finally looked up from her reins. "Oh good, we're almost there."

Sitting atop the desert's northern hills was a strange circular structure, though it was still too far away to make out much. Aden felt his gut clench in fear; the last one had nearly killed them, so how bad would this one be? They might not come out alive, or at all…

_Well, there's only one was to find out. _"We'll be there by tonight, let's sleep then and go in when it's hot, if this one's anything like the first one it'll be cooler inside."

Gale nodded. "Yeah…" then she nodded harder and smiled, "Yeah, good idea!"

Aden silently wondered how she could've fooled everyone for so long with such a fake smile.

-8-

**So now you know... please if you liked this chapter tell me, if you think it sucks tell me. I'm 3 Phantoms not 3 Ogres, I won't bite your heads off. If you don't want people to see your opinions PM me, just SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING! (I don't like it when my audiance is silent.) **


	16. Wishes Untold Power pt1

**Wishes Untold: Power Pt1**

Aden tied his horse down in the shade of the cliffs, where they would be out of the sun for most of the day, and could even munch on the sparse tufts of grass that grew here. Gale tied hers to the rocks several feet away so they wouldn't fight over what little nourishment they had.

Once she was satisfied with the rope the redhead turned to him. "Okay fearless leader, lead on. I smell money here."

_Oh please…_ Aden gave the ruin a quick look-over. A black stone plateau sat before them, with what appeared to be a statue of a giant caterpillar's head blocking the set of stairs that served as the only way up into the dungeon, while two other 'heads' sat at either corner of the square, creating an invisible triangle; and at the center was a worn pedestal. "Right."

He wasn't sure why, but a sense of weight seemed to settle in his chest the second his foot crossed from sand to rock. Kneeling at the black slab, Aden beheld the curved runes and sighed. "It's written in ancient Hylian, I'm betting this is the 'lock' Regime meant."

"So how do you unlock it?"

"Could you bring me the Book of Mudora? It's in my saddlebags." Gale did, but with several good-humored grumbles about 'delays' and 'time is money'. "This could take a while," he warned once she handed him the book, "make yourself comfortable."

"In a desert… _sure._"

Flipping open the tome, Aden got to work. It was no easy feat to translate the swirling text, especially since the harsh climate had eroded small bits of the rock, but he persisted, and after five minutes he'd deduced what it said. He called Gale over, "It says: 'To open the way forward, make your wish here and it will be granted."

"So we have to make a wish?"

"Guess so… Would you like me to bake you a cake?"

Gale dropped to her knees next to him, and with a faint smirk, wove her fingers together. "No thanks."

Aden smiled and closed his eyes. She would probably wish for money-and now he knew why-but what should he wish for? The only thing that was likely to happen here was that the ruin would open itself, but if these tests were meant to find the bearer for the Master Sword-the same legendary sword his father had used, then perhaps he should put some thought into his wish… he was dealing with old magic, and repeated near-death experiences had taught him to tread carefully.

_I wonder what dad wished for…_ The thought niggled at the back of his mind, refusing to disappear, until images of Link were all he could think about. And it was in those thoughts that he knew what his wish would be; his father had fought with incredible power, and was this not the test for the Pendant of Power? And wasn't that same kind of power his ultimate goal?

_I wish I understood why Link fought so hard, and I wish I had the power he had back in his day._

Feeling slightly foolish, Aden opened his eyes and rose to his feet. Gale though, remained where she was for several more seconds before finally standing.

"So what did ya' wish for?" He asked, trying to keep the mood light.

"None of your business."

Aden's attempted good mood evaporated like water in the desert; her tone was curt and cold, but he didn't have time to dwell on it, for at that instant the ground began shaking. The statue of a caterpillar's head began to move of its own accord-all three of them. Drifting over the plateau under some unseen force, until the two that had been behind them were now in front, on either corner, and the one that had been in front was now behind-blocking the way back. "Whoa." He clammed up as what sounded like flutes briefly filled the air.

"Okaaay…" Gale glanced around, "that was weird."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Aden gazed at the stairs that the shifting had revealed; a long flight leading up the hill to the entrance, a dome-like building that looked like another caterpillar's head, only with an open mouth working as the entrance. "Well, we're in…"

"Yeah, but will we ever come back out?"

"You shouldn't talk like that, it's bad luck." Taking a deep breath he started up the stairs, and without pausing, into the dungeon's maw.

The first thing Aden was aware of was the noticeable drop in temperature, they were in a desert for Triforce's sake, it should have been hot and dry in a torch-lit room, but it felt like he was standing at a lakebed in late fall.

"Hey this isn't so bad, actually it feels pretty good." Gale said, ducking past him. "Yeah I kinda… kinda…" The words died in her throat as she beheld the sight before them; a wooden bridge suspended over a rectangular pit that filled the room, at its far end was a plain wood door.

"Trap." The two said simultaneously.

"Wonder how far down it goes?" Gale knelt, plucked up a loose stone, and tossed it over the edge. After minutes that stretched on eternally, a soft _clok _echoed back to them.

"That's far, too far to survive…" Aden scratched the back of his head. "So now what?"

"You go first and see if it's safe."

"Why me?!"

"Because you're the swordsman."

"So?"

Gale straightened, smiling insufferably. "In the stories it's the brave knight, or sword-wielding hero that goes first in these situations, it _always _is."

"And if it's a trap?"

"The bridge will probably collapse, you'll die, and I'll think of some other way across, assuming I don't just up and leave."

_Glad to know you have such a high regard for my life… _Aden sighed and took a cautious step forward. The shabby wood creaked in protest but it didn't give beneath his weight. Wishing there was a rail of some kind he spread his arms for balance and started walking, testing each board before moving on.

As he neared the center of the viaduct his heart began to quicken. _One little step at a time… Don't look_ _down; don't think about this bridge possibly crumbling beneath your feet, and whatever you do, don't think about the drop into a black pit and the hard, possibly sharp, rocks at the bottom. Don't think about any of that stuff… _His fears proved groundless, for nothing happened; the bridge didn't break or burst into flames, or do anything other than groan, as he made his way across, still he breathed an audible sigh of relief when his feet touched the opposite side.

"Huh, talk about anti-climactic…" Gale blinked like an owl and began her own careful journey, chatting all the while. "Gravity is not our friend here… Well that's just fine- I never cared much for it anyway…" Aden rolled his eyes but didn't say anything; she had every right to be nervous. "…and this bridge!" She squeaked, now in the center of the room. "Have you ever seen such a poor excuse of a walkway? I wouldn't be a bit surprised if it snapped-"

For some reason, Aden wasn't too surprised when the ropes holding the boards beneath Gale's feet broke. As the bridge snapped in two, the redhead grabbed the ropes in front of her and, cursing, held on for the ride.

"Gale!" Aden dropped to his knees and stared over the edge as the ropes caught on some weight, hidden by the abyss.

"See, what'd I tell you?" The thief's voice floated up ahead of her, a moment later she emerged from the darkness, pale as a ghost, one rope in each hand walking up the wall. "Damn thing was just screaming 'break!'"

_Be careful! _Aden reached out when she got close and grasped her sweating hand. Grunting he hauled her up.

The instant she had both arms and legs on the stone, she grabbed him by the ear. "You make a joke about how much I weigh and I'll push you off!"

"Don't worry," he assured her, "I'm too anxious to make jokes." Moaning he stood. Just like last time: they hadn't been there ten minutes and already they'd had a near-death experience…

**-8-**

**You know... I HATE CRASHES! But what can I do huh? Sorry for the delay.**


	17. Amid the Sifting Sand Power Pt2

**Amid the Shifting Sands: Power pt2**

Gale threw up her arms. "I think there's more sand in _here_ than there is outside." Aden ran a hand through his hair, and had to agree. After recovering from the heart attack the pit-room had given them, the two pressed on past a hallway that got progressively steeper the higher they climbed, until they reached the far end.

And now they were standing before another pit, only this one was filled with sand. _Now what? _It was then that Adenspied the walkways; connected to their level by a half-hidden staircase, a series of stone pathways stretched high overhead.

"They're going up?" Gale said when she noted the general direction the catwalks took. "How can they be going _up_? The dome of this place wasn't that tall."

"Maybe it's part of the magic- either that or it's a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside." Aden motioned toward the stairs. "Ladies first."

Gale 'humpfed' and led the way, higher up more details came into view: ledges with doors protected by strange posts that would shoot red lasers if you crossed the path of their ever revolving eye, a switch that was seemingly inaccessible against the far wall, just over a chest, and the crimson-blue tentacle monsters that roamed the trails. Gale seemed to take a vengeful delight in pushing them off.

There were only two reachable doors so they picked the closest one on the left, ducking under its guardian eye.

Aden barely blinked at the sight of more sand, but as he watched the floor of the square room shifted, and what appeared to be a cactus pushed its way to the surface. The instant it was free the plant's needles preformed a salute and it began spinning toward them.

_Ridiculous. _Aden sliced it cleanly in two, but eight rooms later he saw how they could be deadly: this place was big, big enough to get lost in; and if you were caught off guard, a fight could easily mean trouble.

"You know, I just thought of something." Gale paused, "All these rooms look alike…"

Aden stopped in his tracks, the wheels in his head turning; she was right, he'd begun to think every room was starting to look the same. "You want to risk splitting up? We'll cover more ground, and we may find something."

"You're just hoping I'll find a map to this place." The redhead smirked and darted back the way they'd come. "Try not to die without me; looting your corpse is impossible if I can't find it!"

Aden didn't smile as he turned for the next room; he'd seen her jokes and smiles for what they really were: a practiced façade to hide her pain behind. He'd seen her real smile that day at Karkariko, and he had to admit, it was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever witnessed.

The next three rooms contained nothing but monsters, and the fourth was a dead end, he was about to turn back when he noticed something different: a lever, concealed just well enough to miss if you weren't looking for something different.

Pulling it caused no visible change, so with an irritated grunt he started back, bashing the seemingly replenishing supply of cacti-creatures the whole way.

"_What have you done?!" _Aden froze when he made it back to the sandpit room, and he saw Gale standing at the only other reachable door, only the path to it had disappeared.

"I found a switch farther on, I-" He ducked as a bright red beam shot past his head, courtesy of the eye pedestal. "I pulled it but nothing happened, or so I thought." The eye would be completing another circuit soon, so Aden sprinted onto the walkway. His had changed too, it now turned sharply to the left and the far wall. "Hey, the lever over there, maybe it'll fix it."

Gale laughed out loud when he pulled it, and turning he saw why: his path had vanished, leaving him stranded. _Ooh, brilliant… _He gave Gale a venomous look, and she clamped her mouth shut.

"Why don't you see what's in that chest. I'll look on ahead and see about getting you out of there, until then don't go anywhere."

_Like I can… _Aden sighed as she darted down her door. With nothing else to do he turned toward the wooden chest and lifted the lid; inside was a simple piece of parchment, which upon closer inspection, turned out to be a map.

The dungeon had three floors: a basement, and two above ground. Gale and himself were on the middle floor, clearly identifiable as two blinking white dots, but curiously, another dot was moving around on the third floor; running from room to room.

"Strange… are we not alone in here? I wondered what would happen if another person entered while the dungeon was testing someone else." Aden filed that thought for later; whoever it was could be a potential ally, and why was he talking to himself anyway?

Gale's progress was slow, and without a map, like him she occasionally wound up backtracking. But she did find a compass; Aden noticed when a skull mark appeared at the very bottom of the map. Oddly enough, the third dot stopped moving then, and remained on the third floor. A few seconds later Aden again heard what sounded like flutes playing and looked up to see a bridge extend out and up to a set of stairs that undoubtedly led to the third floor.

He still couldn't reach Gale, and with no other open paths, up was the only way to go. But as he ascended, Aden couldn't help the strangest feeling of wrongness that crept over him. There was something disquieting in the air that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

The third level of this place consisted of eight rooms boxed around a central chamber. Aden did a double take of his map; Gale seemed to be making her merry way back to the pit room, but the other dot had reappeared on the bottom level in the pendant room.

_Annoying… _It felt like he was being led around like a dog on a leash, and he didn't like it.

The first room was the only one that led to the center, but it was currently blocked off by a steel door. Upon closer inspection Aden noticed an inscription carved into the door: "_Red will make you dead, and green will make you scream, but blue will lead you on through."_

"What's that supposed to mean?" With a shrug, he put it aside; the desert had dulled his wits, and he was in no mood to decipher bad poetry.

Odd verse aside there was only one other door to the left, so he took it. The next room proved to be somewhat of a quandary though; according to the map he was in the lower left corner of the third floor, but the room itself had three exits. Cursing magic he picked the obvious door to the right, and stopped; again the map said there should be only two doors at opposite ends but there was an extra set. Ignoring the two to the side, he plowed straight ahead.

"Okay somethin's wrong here!" The third room was just the same: three doors out, when there should've been only one. He was missing something, and it was probably tied to the words on that door. "Red will make you dead, and green will make you scream, but blue will lead you on through." Aden took a closer look; each door was flanked by identical statues that were carved to look as though they were inviting him down their paths.

_Realistically, I should go to the right, in right should be my only option. _Stopping before the door, he treated it to a closer inspection, and drew a hand over his face at his own stupidity. A tiny rupee was set into the palms of both statues, really it was practically screaming 'Solve me!'

The rupees in these statues were red, so Aden ignored that door; the path on the map was probably the deathtrap one- the easy one. Instead he picked the one across from it; its statues had blue rupees set into them.

The next room looked like the others had, but a quick look at the map told him the truth; he should've been in the fourth room, directly north of the center, but he was to the west, in the second room. Gale had moved too, she was taking a detour on her way back to the walkway room. The mystery dot still hadn't moved.

Aden followed his instincts and ignored the 'correct' path from then on, it was the red one, and he had no desire to be 'made dead', as it were. Seven doors later he came across a room that had two things a switch, and a glowing orange tile. Stepping around the dungeon gate, he pulled the lever and checked the map. Gale was moving through the pit room, they must have fixed it somehow, because she was heading for the third floor and if the gate led to where he hoped, they'd run smack into each other. Sighing tiredly, he stepped onto the tile.

The world dissolved into a multicolored blur, and then resettled. Sure enough he was back in the room right before the center, only now it was no longer closed. A moment later the door behind him opened and Gale stepped over the threshold.

"Not dead yet?" She mumbled.

Aden shook his head, and waved his hands toward the, now open, door. "The other rooms were a puzzle, I found the map, and managed to get this door open."

The redhead nodded. "Well I found a compass to go with that map, and another skull key. So, shall we see if there's another bow waiting for us in there?"

"After you…"

The moment the two entered the room Gale groaned. "More sand, big surprise." The central chamber was crafted from solid sandstone, resting in the middle was a chest twice as large as the norm.

"I'm guessing your bow came from one of these?" Gale nodded and passed the key over. "My turn, huh?" The lock was almost large and thick enough to stick his finger into, but the lid was surprisingly light, and swung back easily. "Oh that's just not fair…"

"What is it?"

Aden held up the contents. "It's a glove. No, there isn't another one, it's just _a _glove." He shook the tan gauntlet. It was made from some kind of lightweight, flexible metal. "How is it you get a bow, and I get stuck with a glove?"

Gale shrugged, an uncaring look on her face. "Luck of the draw? Try it on why don't you, who knows, maybe it's really comfortable or something."

Scowling, he held out his left hand and tugged the glove over his palm. It was comfortable, and it was insulated too, but it was something else entirely that convince him that this was a rare treasure worth keeping: strength. Raw, gripping, strength was running through his fingers. It wasn't the type he could use in battle, but lifting things would be easy.

From overhead there was a loud crack, followed by the unmistakable feeling of sand running down his spine. Cursing the foul powder, he stepped forward and felt his ankles sink; the sandstone had broken apart, and it was dissolving back into its original form.

"Oh-!" It was the only word he had time to say before an unexpected pull yanked him under.

Thankfully he'd had just enough time to close his eyes and mouth before he was submerged, because the sense of touch nearly overloaded him; the fine grains slipped into every gap of his clothing and hair, and for what felt like minutes he was scoured from head to toe. Then all at once, for a second he was freefalling through powder-filled air, until he landed on what felt like a hot beach and blacked out.

-8-

**Sorry for the delay, I'll try and get the next one up by Monday. For some reason I have trouble with dungeons, so I'd appreciate advice if you have it, and if not, just tell me what you think.**


	18. Your own Worst Enemy

**Your own Worst Enemy**

The first thing Aden became aware of was that something warm and soft was lying on top of him, and pressing him gently into the sandstone tile. Whatever it was it was quite comfortable, and if it weren't for his aching limbs, and the fact that the weight was making it hard to breathe, he'd have been content to lay there for a while and simply enjoy it. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes.

At first he thought it was a hallucination brought on by the fall, but when it refused to vanish his tired mind began piecing the puzzle together.

_Let's see, I opened that chest... then the room began to dissolve. We were sucked under the floor and fell, and Gale and I were facing each other._ He ran a hand over the grainy floor; there was an imprint of his body, but he'd survived, meaning that until recently, the floor had been sand. _So the sand broke my fall… and I broke Gale's._

Gale was lying with her cheek resting against his knee, which left his head between her legs. If it weren't for the circumstances, the position would've suited him just fine, but if Gale woke up on her own she'd probably think he'd done this on purpose. With a quiet sigh, he reached out.

Trapped as he was, her breasts were the farthest he could reach, and tempted though he was, self-preservation was still the strongest motivation, so he opted for her ribs.

"Gale, hello? This is Hyrule calling redhead, saying wake up spunky." He tried shaking her, but she barely moved, "Gale, I'm sure you're enjoying suffocating me just as much as I'm enjoying your method, but WAKE UP!"

The redhead stirred and lifted her top off the floor. "I'm not dead yet?"

Aden tapped her hips with two fingers and her head and shoulders swiveled. "Good morning, now get off me, one of your knives is digging into my chest." He saw her touch the side of her bruised head before her eyes suddenly cleared.

"Aden, you miserable pervert!" As she rolled off him one booted heel came back and collided with his jaw.

"I didn't do that, we just landed that way." Rubbing his jaw, he sat up. "Now then, give me back my wallet."

Gale didn't seem to have enough willpower to play dumb, for once she just reached behind her back, threw his money to him, and went back to brushing the sand out of her hair. "So where are we?"

Aden stood and pulled out the, surprisingly undamaged, map. "Floor 1B, the basement."

"And I'm guessing that's our way out?" Gale pulled off one of her boots to clean it, and gestured to a large door with a lock too big for a regular key.

"That's the pendant room." He said, running a hand through his hair. "I really hope it'll just _be _there, no legendary thief this time."

"That's wishful thinking." Gale finished cleaning her boots and stood. "Ok, when you're ready…"

_Am I ever? _This entire escapade had felt like a giant suicide mission, and yet, here he was unlocking a door that probably had something bad behind it. And not for the first time he wondered what could've possessed his father to come to places like this, it was simply mad, and that made the son as crazy as the father.

The room was a square chamber that was bare of decoration, like before, the floor was sandstone. Leaning against the far wall were a young man and woman.

The woman looked to be a peasant in her late teens. With her hair cut short, and simple tan skirts she wouldn't have seemed out of place in town, but here she was far too clean; not one speck of sand on her, but odd as she seemed here, she was nothing next to her companion.

"So you two are Aden and Gale? Funny, the way Miko here described you I thought you'd be taller Aden…" He said, stepping forward. His torn tunic had been wrapped around his waist to create a makeshift loincloth, and without it they could see that his muscled body was every bit as worn and disheveled as theirs, as if he'd spent days in the desert with little supplies.

The woman, Miko, coughed politely. "I'll leave you guys alone…" Without waiting for a response, she stepped back, and vanished into the wall.

The man's eyes never left him, and likewise Aden found himself openly staring. Tilting his head from side to side, the stranger smiled. "Are you surprised, maybe a little scared? I wouldn't hold it against you…" he said, sliding his raven locks away from his eyes, "…after all, we look exactly alike."

Aden almost agreed. From the black hairs on his head, to the muscles in his legs, to the sword belted across his bare back and the shield on his arm, it felt like he was staring at his reflection- but there was one thing wrong; he wasn't quite sure what, but the way this man held himself, the way he smiled, and the way he spoke betrayed him.

"My name is Sainen. I am a copy of you, made by magic."

Gale raised an eyebrow. "Great, and I thought one was bad enough…"

Sainen closed his eyes and chuckled. "Oh don't worry Gale; you don't interest me at the moment."

"Lucky me…"

"_You _however, Aden, hold my undivided attention. You see I've been dying to meet you; I wanted to meet the weaker me."

_That_ caught his attention. "What do you mean? You yourself just said you were the copy."

"No." Sainen shook his head. "I may be a clone, but unlike you, I have no fear."

"You calling me a coward?"

"No, I'm calling you completely spineless!"

Aden felt his wariness curdle over to dislike. "Bastard."

"Are you criticizing yourself?" The doppelganger grinned. "If you aren't a coward, tell me this: Why won't you kill people?"

"He's got you there…" From Gale.

Aden flinched like he'd been stung. He really couldn't deal with her needling right now. "Shut it…"

"Humph…" Sainen slid his sword from its sheath, "I, on the other hand, have no such weakness, I can kill without thinking twice," he paused, "unlike my cowardly twin."

"I've always wondered about that…" Gale mused. "Why can't you kill? Do you really think you're that much better than the rest of the old gang?"

"Oh, what do you know?!" He snapped like a wounded animal.

"Well I know in our line of work you occasionally have to get bloody to make sure you eat, but then there's you; always bringing back your weight in money, but never getting your hands messy, why is that? At least I know you might have to ruin a few lives to get at the wallets and purses."

"At least I know I haven't ruined the lives of my own family!" The second he said it Aden regretted having ever opened his mouth. Gale's lips parted in a dumbfounded look, before her face became completely blank "That was cruel, I'm sorry."

"Uh-huh…" Her expression never changed as she leaned against the closed door and turned her eyes to the ground. Feeling he should say something Aden drew in a breath, but Gale overrode him. "Couldn't you do the smart thing and just leave me alone?"

At the other end of the room Sainen's shoulders were shaking. "Yes, couldn't you? I haven't spent these last few days training for nothing, you know… I've been aching to cross swords with you, so how about this: winner gets the Pendant of Power."

_I think, if I live long enough, I'll regret what I said…_ Moving away from her, he drew his sword. "Sure, sounds fine to me." Aden silently resolved to apologize again after she'd opened back up.

Sainen raised his shield and moved to the middle of the room. Aden gripped his blade in one hand and did likewise. This would be the strangest duel he'd ever fought; years of survival outside the castle had strengthened his body, and given him an edge in raw combat. But Sainen looked every bit as fit and able as himself, and though they were both weary, the double's eyes were bright with malice, confidence, and what looked like hope.

The two swords met once in a brief tap, and Aden swung, intending to strike his opponent's ribs. Sainen caught the blow on his shield and stabbed. Bending his knees, Aden ducked the blow, and twisted his wrist to bring his sword up. But Sainen protected himself with the base of his blade and used the added weight of the shield to send him sprawling.

Aden rolled with the attack and came up ready to fend off another, but saw there was no need; Sainen hadn't moved, except to straighten from his pose and tilt his head. The doppelganger seemed to be waiting for something, and with his expression so determined, it was impossible to tell what.

Standing Aden advanced, more cautiously than before. The brief exchange had told him that the man before him was as adept at swordsmanship as himself, and unsurprisingly, the strength in their limbs were equal.

When they were about four feet apart Sainen struck, thrusting his shield out like a battering ram. Aden jumped to the side and lunged, but Sainen parried the stab. After that, he seemed to grow irritated, mumbling under his breath about something.

The two closed again, and Aden was the one to back away. His first goal would be getting around that shield; Sainen didn't seem to mind that he was fighting on defense, but something had him agitated. Three more times they exchanged blows, with Aden backing down each time to think. He could try the spin attack, but against a foe that was as fast, strong, and though it was painful to admit, _good _as he was it was too risky. Maybe a feint? No, he wouldn't fall for it.

"How's this?" The double said, interrupting his thoughts. With a shrug, he slipped the shield off and threw it to the side. "Better?"

_It's a trick. _Aden thought glumly. _I wouldn't willingly give up a shield, there's no way he-_

"I've been waiting for this." Sainen said. "I thought I might need a shield, but from what I've seen so far…" He settled into a ready stance. "Now fight."

Aden scowled and darted forward. Tiny slivers of light winked into existence as sparks flew from the blades. He and Sainen thrust, parried, swung, and pushed at each other, but neither could gain an advantage. And all the while, Sainen continued to mutter. Even as they amassed dozens of cuts and bruises, even as sweat began to coat their arms and legs, even as the swords began quivering and the duel wore on for what felt like hours, his frustration only seemed to grow.

Ducking a swipe to his head, Aden rolled back into position. The sword was so heavy in his hands, but he wouldn't give up, he wouldn't let a fake get away with calling him weak, or insulting his courage. He was about to attack again when Sainen stood up straight.

"This is ridiculous."

"So you're giving up?"

"No." Gone was the former amusement, now Sainen just looked angry. "You're too exhausted to fight, and with every exchange you lose more steam. It's to the point where you aren't even worth it, not now; of course you didn't offer much to start with."

"_What?!_" His body wanted nothing more than to agree and stop, but his pride demanded he fight on. "You're every bit as tired as I am!"

Sainen closed his eyes and sighed. "You still think you can do more than a few dings?" The doppelganger relaxed and bounced up and down on his toes. "Please, cuts and scrapes are nothing, you'll never do any real damage…"

Aden managed one breath before his twin dashed into him and drove the air from his lungs. The sword hit the ground first, and he collapsed. _What just happened…?! It's like he flew._

"Pegasus Boots, a gift from Blind after he robbed the castle treasury." Sainen explained. "With these on I can run for hours."

"You… ch-cheated…" He spat, trying to gulp air back into his empty lungs.

"Did I? Let me ask you a question: What is power? It's strength, speed, stamina, intelligence, and magic; whether you train relentlessly, are blessed with it naturally, or it's taken or given to you, it makes no difference. The only thing that matters is how much you acquire, so you can destroy your enemies. But you…" The clone made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. "…even you obtained power, you wouldn't use it right; you won't, _can't_ kill. You can't destroy your enemies. You coward!"

Aden grabbed his sword, and was up and slashing, driving his foe back in a surge of anger. "I'm not a coward! I'm not weak! AND WE ARE NOTHING ALIKE!" He didn't care about finesse or skill, only hurting the mirror image of himself any way he could. Taking the sword in both hands he swung, and the chamber lit up in a bright flash.

"No…" It was all Aden could say; the two blades were locked, quivering at the hilt. Though it had pushed his own sword back into his shoulder, Sainen had blocked the Whirling Blade Technique. With a savage growl he pushed the blades away, snarling at the line of blood that ran down his arm.

Time seemed to slow as he backed off, grasped the gash, and grinned. "Maybe you do have something to offer me after all…" Then he paused, and gazed at the floor, a look of anger twisting his features. "You want me to _what?! _Now?" Frowning he sighed. "Orders from Freak-show. I'm to retreat, and give you the Pendant."

"You can't leave yet! We aren't finished here!"

Sainen shook his head. "Oh I think we are. I've been seeking a purpose I woke up, and now I have one: I'm made from your blood, I'm the real you, and next time we fight I plan to prove it."

_I'm not gonna stand for that… _"Then how 'bout we fight now!" Aden ran forward and stabbed but Sainen vanished just before he reached his target.

"Work yourself up to my level, Aden…"

-8-

Sainen hit the ground hard. Sheathing his sword he cursed: he'd been wounded, the gore dripping from his fingers was proof, but he barely felt the pain. Adjusting the fingers on the bloody hilt of his sword, he proceeded through the temple at a fast pace.

Miko met him about halfway to his destination, carrying a large basin of human skulls. "You're back! Thank Heaven, I was beginning to worry. What the… you're hurt, how-?"

"Move it!" He said, shoving her into a nearby pillar and scattering bones everywhere. "Blind! Blind, you freak, get out here!" His calls fell on deaf ears and he was forced to march to the temple's center.

The main chamber was a colossal decagon, ringed with torches. Blind was in the center, surrounded by ten square altars.

"Yes?"

"Why did you stop me?! I'd have killed him!"

Blind was still in his human form, and so made no sound when he moved over to him and touched his injured shoulder. "You'll finish him when I decide. It's amusing, watching you two go at each other's throats."

"So I'm your entertainment now? You despicable zombie!" Sainen pulled back his sword and stabbed the blond between the ribs.

From behind him Miko let out an anguished cry "Lord Sainen! Master Blind please, he's just angry, and he's still new. It was just an accident!"

"Shut yer trap!" Sainen shouted at her, and then returned his attention to Blind. "Aden is weaker than me right now, but he can become stronger if he's given time. I won't let him beat me…"

Blind didn't seem at all bothered by the blood staining the green of his robe, nor the sword in his gut. "What do you expect me to do about it?"

"Items…" He breathed. "Weapons, spells, training dummies and weights, I don't care how I get it… Just give me more power…

-8-

Aden scooped up the discarded shield and shimmering aqua pendant. Two down, his goal of finding all three was in sight… _Of course I may not survive to get the last one… _He turned toward Gale, she was still leaning against the door with her head bowed.

He'd really screwed up, this time, and knowing Gale's reaction from when he'd followed her, it probably meant he didn't have long to live. He had to make amends for his stupidity before she put an arrow in him…

"Uh… Gale? You alright?" Nothing. "Gale I got the Pendant of Power, we can leave now…" Still nothing, and he edged closer. "Gale?" She still ignored him, though he could now see that her shoulders were shaking. "Gale, are you-?"

"Would you shut up already?"

Aden jumped and clamped his mouth shut, behind him he heard the sound of stone grating on stone. He turned and saw that the wall was reforming into a set of stairs. This room had no ceiling, which meant it was probably the bottom of the very first pit they'd encountered. He sighed, as Gale brushed past him; it was going to be a long walk…

The stairs wound around the wall in a circle as they slowly walked up. Aden felt like a dog with its tail tucked between his legs, absolutely miserable… Gale didn't say a word, and try as she might he could see her body shaking, probably from suppressed rage.

They emerged at the top of the large pit, just as he'd thought, though it gave him no comfort, and fortunately it was on the side with the door leading out. As he took the last step, he looked up. What he saw caused him to stumble to his knees.

Gale had turned her head at the entrance to protect her eyes from the sun. With her face illuminated by light he could easily see the tears she'd been hiding.

_No way…_ It went against everything he knew about her; in this situation she would get angry and destroy something, Gale didn't cry- not once. Aden sagged as she walked into the desert. He'd thought she'd scream or yell, torture, and eventually kill him, but somehow seeing her shed tears was infinitely worse.

"I am…" He couldn't find the right words at first, though as Gale disappeared into the light they came to him.

"I'm such a bastard…"

-8-


	19. A Fatal Mistake

**A Fatal Mistake**

The desert was still. Aden would've been overjoyed to see a vulture, or even a Sandman, anything that would break the chilling grip of the quiet.

Gale once again rode ahead of him. She didn't say a word, not a single sound. And it was her silence that terrified him the most. He still couldn't forget the sight he'd seen in the ruins: he'd made her cry. He'd managed to do what couldn't be done, and it left him feeling sick. He wanted to apologize, not just out of remorse but also to prevent her from exacting some form of vengeance upon him, as he was certain she would. But what could he say?

_I suppose in the end… I really am more similar to Sainen. _His double had seemed off from the moment they'd first locked eyes. He was cruel, shallow, and selfish, and that was exactly the kind of uncaring retort he would've made…

Aden looked down at his hands. Had he really been so arrogant all this time? He felt as if someone had slapped him in the face and said"Look at yourself, you big moron!" It was a very unpleasant and humiliating look. And deep down he knew there was only one way to make up for it… He had to man up to his mistake, swallow his pride, and say he was sorry- and if he wanted to live he'd probably have to get down on his knees and grovel for her forgiveness.

With a deep breath of dry air he mustered his courage, and nudged his horse until they rode side-by-side. "Gale… Okay listen- _er… please_ listen… I'm sorry I said what I did back there, it was… very callous of me. I know it won't change the fact that I said it, but if it makes any difference at all… I am sorry. You can shoot me wherever you like."

"It doesn't matter…" If it hadn't been so quiet he would've missed the breath of speech that escaped. Very slowly, she turned her head to look at him, and what he saw bewildered him. It was like there was something in her expression, some shadow in the back of her eyes that he'd never seen before, but at the same time, it felt like it had always been there, and all he'd done was uncover it.

"What you said and how you feel… neither of them matter to me now." She said, and then continued before he could speak. "There is something about you I'm trying to figure out. Let me work through it on my own."

_This is one of those moments where the man pipes down and does what the lady says. _Aden just nodded and slowed his horse until he was behind her again. There was nothing else he could do for now but leave Gale to her thoughts.

But as the day wore on to night, and the desert slowly yielded to dry grass, one image became more and more prominent: that darkness in her eyes that shimmered like a far-away light. What was it? What was that elusive emotion that screamed for release?

-8-

_THUNK! _Aden's eyes snapped open and he just barely saw the hilt and blade of the knife sticking out of the ground. He didn't waste time thinking; before he knew what he was doing he was on his feet with sword in hand.

"I was just practicing my aim." Gale's voice floated out from the darkness without the slightest bit of humor. She'd killed the fire, and without it the night was pitch black. That actually worked in his favor; she wasn't as used to fighting at night as he was.

"You missed." He told her, and then drew his blade and heard, as well as felt, the knife ricocheting off the weapon. He was glad he'd chosen to sleep armed tonight, there was a chill in her voice he didn't like…

Another movement in the dark and Aden ducked, as the wind from another blade passed through his hair. "I told you I was sorry!"

"That doesn't matter!" She cried. "Your idiotic comment, and how it makes you feel… I don't give a rat's ass!" More knives flew and he rolled to the side to avoid being turned into a pointy-eared pincushion.

He didn't want to do it, but there was nowhere to hide out here, and even he needed some light. Grasping the sword, he focused his adrenaline into his next swing, and spun. The hill-enclosed field was illuminated for the span of two seconds while he revolved, then Gale rammed her shoulder and bicep into his gut like an angry bull. The force of the charge knocked him flat on his back, but even as the point of her blade came to rest on his jugular he swept his sword up to rest on the side of her throat.

Everything stopped. Even the insects and wind became still. The black clouds slowly shifted and in the pale moonlight the two remained locked, with her kneeling over his hips, two hands clasped upon the hilt of the knife at his neck.

One deep breath to refill his winded lungs, then: "If what I said doesn't matter, why attack me?"

Gale tightened her grip over the dagger, but didn't move otherwise. "Why don't you kill me?"

"What?"

"I'm a threat, as such a thief has two options: one, remove yourself from the line of fire, or two, remove the threat. Despite your talents I've now backed you into a situation with only one way out. I know that, Sainen knows that; he would just dispose of me and walk away. _You_ are the only one who drops the ball." Aden flinched, but she wasn't done yet. "Would your swordsman father hesitate in this kind of predicament? I doubt it. You and you alone are the one thief I've met who's drawn a line. Well now it's time to cross it; take your sword and slice my head off!"

"Gale, have you gone mad?!" The knife at his throat pushed just a hair's breadth further down, and once again he saw that strange shadow in the depths of her eyes.

"It's the one thing I can't piece together; every time you fight humans you hold back, even when sense dictates otherwise! I just don't understand why, and how?! How are you able to fight like that?! Just watching you do it infuriates me more than anything else! But no more, you'll either behead me tonight, or die out here!"

This was insane. But the redheaded thief showed absolutely no fear or uncertainty, she had already decided to kill him if he refused, and he was sure she wouldn't stop this time. But still, he felt he had to try, even if it was the end of him.

"Why does it anger you so much?" He asked, stalling for time. "Why should my decision affect you so deeply?"

"Because it's the same decision I tried to make, and life taught me that that kind of weak thinking has no place here. But then you do it so easily, and on a daily basis even! It makes no sense! What are you trying to prove? Do you think you're that much better than the other scum we worked with? Do you think you're that much better than me?!"

"No, I've never thought that."

"Then why?!" The dagger in her hands trembled slightly as her tone became desperate, and that icy shadow became more pronounced. "Tell me the truth this time! Before you always said it was part of training yourself, but what's the real reason? _Tell me Aden!_"

"Won't you even let me up?"

"No." She said, never taking her eyes from his. "Tell me the truth first…"

"The truth…" Aden hesitated, unsure how Gale would react to his answer. She seemed dangerously close to mindless violence and the truth might push her over the edge. But at the same time he didn't really have much choice. The truth is… Sainen was telling the truth, I'm a coward." Just thinking it left an acrid taste in his mouth.

"Explain." Gale commanded.

"It was shortly before I joined up with your group. I'd been living life alone but freely, until one day when I wandered into the Lost Woods. I came to a woman in trouble and rushed to her defense. I killed her assailant."

Gale didn't move only her stare grew more intense. "And?"

"And that was it; I couldn't do it again. I went to a nearby stream, but no matter how much I tried I couldn't get the feel of blood off of me, I couldn't stop trembling." He smiled ruefully. "If anyone thinks murder is easy, then they haven't done it before. Some emotion in me just rebelled against what I'd done, and I haven't killed since."

"But then why would you join up with a gang of cutthroat thieves? Murder is part of our job description."

"Part of the reason was my training, that wasn't a lie it just wasn't the whole truth. I'd had to steal before to keep myself from starving in winter, but when I committed my first big crime was when I learned… I learned the thrill of fighting like that. The blood pounding through me made me feel so alive, and after a while, the murder I committed became nothing more than a phantom memory."

For a long while Gale said nothing, then, "You can fight the strongest humans with nonlethal force. Do you think your mother and father would be proud of how strong you've become?"

"My father dedicated his life to protecting people, and my mother is a kind and softhearted woman. No, I don't think they'd ever wished to see me like this." Aden closed his eyes and lowered his blade to the ground. "Enough, I can't kill you, so you may as well just stick me and get it over with…"

Silence. Complete stillness enveloped the two while he lay there. There was nothing he could do but patiently await her verdict. The oppressive clouds crawled by once again plunged them into darkness.

"I think… I finally understand." She whispered. "It isn't just strength for you, it's redemption."

"Maybe deeper down… but I ultimately am very selfish in the pursuit of power. I suppose I should thank Sainen for that."

"He forced you to look at some of your own flaws." The point at his throat vanished and Gale's weight lifted from his body. "I won't kill you because of that, but Aden, I hope one day you understand what I mean when I say that fate has a funny way of taking the thing you want most and using it to destroy you."

-8-

**Well this was fun once I got to writing it. Don't be shy, tell me what you think. I'll accept good or bad reviews and hopefully learn from them.**


	20. No Rest for the Wicked

**No Rest For The Wicked**

_It's always dark down here, I'd kill for a bit of light. _So thought Sainen as Blind secured the last of his chains. The chains, the table on which he lay, the room; they were all black and cold as night, and after seeing the radiance of the sun a lack of light was downright depressing.

Blind moved out of his vision. "Are you certain? The act of sealing this beast in you is more painful than you can imagine. I have to shackle your arms to keep you from ripping yourself to shreds."

"I told you already, you freak show; as long as this operation gives me more power, I don't care." Although he couldn't see her, he knew Miko was watching him and silently praying he'd reconsider. He made a point of ignoring her.

"Well I suppose it's your choice…" Blind muttered. "I have earplugs, so I'll be fine."

Sainen turned his eyes upward, to the only other creature in the room; a slumbering mass of rock, teeth, and claws. "Bah! I won't scream, just start already!" From somewhere overhead a hidden mechanism came to life and the monster was slowly lowered toward the table.

"_Everyone _screams." Blind told him. "The only real question is how long until you pass out from the agony?"

-8-

_I've been so ignorant this whole time… _So thought Aden as Gale nudged her horse to go faster; she was chatting and joking more and more, but now he could see how ritualistic it was. All the smiles and witty banter were fluff; they were no different than an act she might put on for amusement or before robbing someone, and it was a play she performed well enough to fool the whole world.

Last night's incident had forced him to reevaluate the redhead: He'd thought she was just a petty thief who got her kicks from the thrill of danger and the smell of rupees, then he'd learned about Castor and he saw the regret from the life she'd picked, and then, after rubbing salt into that old wound, he experienced a taste of what he could only describe as her pain. He'd seen an emotion that he'd seen on her before; something born from that pain that refused to die, no matter how deep it was buried. He didn't know how to describe it, but it did tell him one thing: Gale was a human being, just like him, and just like him, she had feelings.

_I should've been better to her. I should be more thoughtful from now on._

"Don't think too hard, I'd hate to see your head explode." Gale leaned forward to stretch her back. "After all, it's just starting to deflate."

"Very funny." She was just trying to pass the time. Last night seemed to have sapped her strength, and though she tried her best to remain awake, it was clear that she wouldn't hold out till night. Aden stared hard for a moment; that unearthly emotion in her eyes was nowhere to be seen. She looked like her usual, cheery, insufferable self, but still, he couldn't forget what he'd seen. It unnerved him in a way he'd never thought possible, and he wanted nothing more than to forget it existed and go back to the way things were; but as she'd said, fate would use his wish to torment him. Still, if he couldn't deal with her baggage, he could at least not contribute to it resurfacing. With what he hoped was a comforting smile he cleared his throat. "You know if you're tired, just say so and we'll stop."

"Yeah, yeah… I'm fine, and besides if I pass out now there's no telling what you'll do to me."

"Nothing, most I might do is watch you until I get hungry."

"Bullshit. I know you've been staring at me every chance you get."

_Believe it or not I'm just in the middle of trying to figure you out._ "I'm not that much of a pig. I wouldn't do anything without your consent."

The thief faced him with heavy eyes. "Oh you won't huh?"

"I'd like to keep myself from becoming a living quiver."

"Really…" She said, brightening slightly. "Then that means I can do things like this…" Tugging on the reins, she guided her mount closer to his, reached over, and pinched him on the rear. As she straightened she partially undid her tunic and that irritatingly superior smile appeared. "You know what the best part of the game is? I can do whatever I like, because you can't risk me shooting you. Go ahead and fantasize, like I told ya, it'll tear you up."

Aden closed his mouth, which had dropped open. "But that's not fair!"

"No it isn't. What are you gonna do, spank me?"

As she moved past him, a sinister smile crept up. "Yeah…" He said, smacking her bottom once. Tapping his horse into a quick trot he passed her by, noting that her eyes had snapped open. "Well I guess you're awake now."

"Y-you… you actually did it!"

"Serves you right for thinking you could use me as your little doll."

Silence, with him ready to duck under a flying dagger, before: "Well I guess you do have a spine after all…" she sped up to ride alongside him, and he saw that she already had one out, "but don't you _ever _touch me like that again."

"What're you gonna do, kiss me?" Gale snorted, her shoulders shaking in silent laughter, while she spurred her horse onward. "Ah well, it was worth a shot." If nothing else, he could still make her laugh. Who could say? Maybe things would turn out okay in the end.

The next day crawled at a snail's pace and did nothing to improve Gale's lack of energy. She remained in a constant haze of semi-awareness while awake, and spent the day complaining about hunger, or trying her best not to appear tired. Fortunately the trip back to Karkariko was relatively short; they'd be able to get a room and some proper bed rest then, and hopefully it'd perk her up.

"Dammit!" Aden craned his neck to look back at his partner. The ginger was breathing heavily and her voice was hoarse from coughing. It was official, she was ill.

"If you need to rest…"

"Oh shut yer trap!" She snapped. Getting sick had left her in a very bad mood, but they were only a short distance from the town. There Aden planned to 'liberate' a health vial from one of the more overpriced stores, it wouldn't cure her, but it would give her the power boost she needed.

As the trees that indicated the town was close came into sight, Aden was gripped by the strangest sense of impending doom. It was as if something in the air had been changed… But after a brief consideration he brushed it aside; he was just as rundown from the desert as Gale, and it was probably luck that spared him from getting sick as well. They just needed a hot meal, and some bed rest to recover that was all.

-8-

"His body appears fine, although he did tear his wrists open on the shackles." Miko informed him in a controlled tone. "As you predicted the magic kept him alive though."

Blind closed his eye is satisfaction as he sank into warm bath, the potion instantly began its work on his form. "Good, is he awake?"

"Not yet." She said, keeping her voice as neutral as possible. "Lord Sainen did wake up briefly, but he was still very weak from the operation and seemed to be delirious."

"You want to tend to him don't you." It wasn't a question, and he knew that in spite of her best efforts to appear otherwise, she was concerned. "Odd that someone like you would care, remember that unlike you, he _is _still human…"

Miko's lips twitched in an angry grimace, but she remained silent, and for a full minute the only noise was that of bubbling potion. Then a new sound came drifting throughout the empty halls.

The sound of a demon laughing; it seemed Sainen was awake.

-8-

**Well, a little short, but so was the wait. I'm a little concerned about this one so let me know what you think. I'll greatly appreciate any advice or critizism.**


	21. To Defy Impossible

**To Defy Impossible**

_Ohhh… I'm beginning to wonder if that dumb sword is even worth it… _Aden groaned and sat up in bed. He and Gale had checked into Kakariko's only inn for a chance to rest, but it actually seemed to be making things worse. _Everything _hurt; the test of power had drained him to the point of collapse and his muscles had cramped overnight, leaving his entire body sore and making it a chore just to wash and throw his clothes on.

As he splashed his face with water from the wash bowl, he paused to check himself in the mirror. What he saw dispelled his grogginess instantly: he was staring at a stranger's face; the jaw was leaner than he remembered, and the skin was darkened from the days traveling in the desert. The eyes however, were what truly unbalanced him, because they looked so determined, powerful, and alien on him, yet he was sure he'd seen them somewhere before.

"I look like Link…" He'd only seen those eyes when his father was fighting to protect his family, but he could never forget the overwhelming strength in that look. It wasn't the cocky bravado of every other man on the street who claimed to have done great feats, but the quiet force of a warrior who had risked his life accomplishing those deeds… and who knew that nearly dying was nothing to brag about. He leaned away from the mirror and the reflection became his own.

Unsettled by the experience Aden finished his morning clean-up, looking anywhere but at the mirror. As he belted on his sword it occurred to him that if he was feeling rundown, then Gale probably felt twice as bad. He'd snatched a potion for her last night, but all it would do was ensure she wouldn't die; any sickness still had to run its unpleasant course.

Not surprising, when he went to her room to check on her, he received an irritated snarl and what sounded like a boot hitting the other side of the door.

"So I take it you're not feeling well?" He asked, earning another thud. "Well would you like me to bring you something to eat?"

"Ugh… you eat… I'm tired." The redhead's voice sounded hoarse, as if she'd been screaming all night, and dozens of different comments came to mind: _"Swallow a few frogs in your sleep, trying to sing bass,_ and_ good moblin impersonation.._._"_

"I'll have someone bring up some bread and a broth to help your throat, alright. Try to get better quickly."

For the span of several seconds there was silence, then finally a strained "Thank you..."

-8-

It was a bright day in town. The sun was shining, the birds were whistling their lilting melodies, and people were out and about enjoying the fresh air. Aden barely noticed any of it. Wandering aimlessly around, he took the time to ponder what he'd seen in the mirror. He was changing. Whether for better or worse he didn't know, but he was sure that he was undergoing a change. He wondered if this was how a caterpillar felt as it lay in its cocoon, waiting to spread its growing wings…

_But what kind of wings will I spread? _As much as it galled him to admit it, he was little scared. He had no idea what to expect on Death Mountain, let alone the Tower of Hera, and if two dungeons had done this to him, then a third might be the one to change him completely, or drive him mad. The look he'd seen in his eyes was empowering, but unnerving, and part of him wished that he'd never laid eyes on the Master Sword.

Finding a bench, he sat as a new idea presented itself. He could quit. No one was forcing him to risk his neck. Why should he have to dig his own grave by going to these places? For personal satisfaction? No, that was stupid to the point of insanity. Then for glory? It wasn't worth it, and general thieving was more rewarding than a desert.

The smart thing, the _sane _thing would be to just give up. His father had to have been either stupid or deranged to do this for a shiny sword- he should quit! He should quit right now before he got in too deep. There was no one around, now was perfect…

"Hey dad!" He called, "I admire what you did, old man, but I think you spent a little too much time running around Hyrule for your own good. Sorry, but I want to live."

Aden slumped, he couldn't even _sound _convincing. He wouldn't stop, just like his father he'd persevere to take the last pendent, and then the sword, but why? That was the question that kept tripping him up every time: Why had his father done this? Why had he risked life and limb like this? Why had he gone to these hellholes? It was suicidal, many would say impossible… so why had he done it? Why would he dare to challenge the power of possessed knights, giant insects, and dark wizards? Why did Link defy the impossible?

_Maybe, it was Mother? _That was certainly possible, he could vividly recall almost every detail of the story the queen had told him. While he was searching for a way to awaken the Master Sword he would often check up on her. It wouldn't be out of the question to say that that was when he'd begun to fall in love with her, and since the wizard was after her I suppose it makes sense that he'd want power so he could protect her. "I wonder, did you ever stop? Did your reasons ever seem petty?" He wanted to prove himself strong, but what if that wasn't enough? He wanted strength, like Link, but maybe his reasons weren't right, maybe- just maybe- he was wrong…

The day passed by slowly with him just sitting on that bench, pondering the nature of his mad quest, and his reasons for embarking on it. It wasn't until the sun began to set that he finally stood, his stiffened bones and muscles shrieking in protest. He'd considered much and although he did still want the sword and its power for himself, he'd now had another reason to pursue the last pendent:

If he didn't get the sword, Sainen would, and with that kind of weapon in his hands there was no telling what could happen…

-8-

Gale was waiting for him in the inn's common room, repeatedly stabbing a defenseless hunk of bread with no apparent goal other than her own amusement. She seemed to be fighting to stay awake.

"I hope you aren't picturing me when you do that." Aden said gesturing to the mangled food.

The redhead gave him a halfhearted smile. "Where'd you go all day?"

"Just out to think, I let the day get away from me." He paused uncertainly. "I've left your brother alone."

Gale nodded a speared another piece of bread. "Word of advice: don't get sick."

"Still got it?"

"I can't eat anything but bread, my head hurts, it was a struggle just to get out of bed… I'm just peachy." She gave her plate a disdainful look and pushed her chair away from the table. "Enough..."

"Where're you going?"

Gale stood with a pained grimace and headed for the door. "Castor. Don't follow."

As he watched her leave, Aden felt like he was beginning to understand why his father had fought so hard: he had someone worthwhile to fight for."

-8-

**Well here you go... Please tell me: good, bad, something else?**


	22. A Song For Healing

**A Song For Healing**

"Another rise, another rupee…" The sun was warm on his face and the breeze plucked softly at his hair. All around him Kakariko was abuzz with activity… and Aden hated every minute of it. He'd slept in, hoping the extra rest would heal his aching limbs, but they rebelled against his attempts, throbbing angrily with every movement. Added to that, Gale was still ill- though it was clear she was recovering faster than him.

The town was a simple, quiet place. That was the problem, its mere simplicity; his body wasn't ready for it. He expected, almost _wanted_, to keep moving. But with Gale bedridden there was nothing to do beyond shopping. It was maddening.

_I suppose it could be worse, I could be fighting for my life- again. _He made sure to avoid the taboo street, but as his wanderings took him ever closer he began to make out faint notes of music. Castor was plying his trade well, he decided, the practice he'd gotten was impressive. He could flit from one song to another like a starlet between branches; flowing seamlessly through compositions until there was a pause in the passerby. And though he couldn't see him, Aden could tell his musical talent was quite popular, as the sounds of several ladies voices could be heard chatting if he came close.

_All in all, I don't think he did too bad under the circumstances. Poor Gale though… Maybe the scent of money will raise her spirit. _The maps and compasses sold alright as unusual items, but it was the keys that were truly lucrative; each smaller one went for thirty rupees apiece, while the two bigger ones hit one hundred even. As he pocketed the money, an idea came to mind. But this wasn't just any idea this was- dare he think it- a _selfless _idea: he could drop Gale's brother a few extra rupees.

The major question is what would Gale do if she found out, and she no doubt would. Was he breaking his word, or being a kind friend? It would be best not to risk it, so with a sigh, he turned away from his current vendor…

And froze; Gale had managed to slip through his senses and appear right behind him. He mentally cursed a nearby bottle merchant for selling his wares so loudly.

"How much did you get?" The thief still looked ragged as an old broom, but her eyes were very much alive.

"Hundred 'n two rupees, when you take out things like the inn and an extra potion. I can't grab one now, I'll be caught."

Gale nodded and turned on her heel, "Come with me." and with no more than that she began walking. It wasn't hard to guess where she would lead him, but Aden was still a bit surprised she'd trust him so quickly.

Castor was once again sitting cross-legged before his hut, the phrase "Coin for your ear!" beckoning anyone who'd care to listen closer.

As they approached Gale slipped her arm into his. It wasn't an affectionate gesture- he could feel the tiny knife she had in her fist.

"Coin for your ear? A song to brighten your day for only ten rupees." Up close Aden saw that the two siblings shared many of the same features, such as their hair, though Castor looked quite a bit more worn and weathered.

Gale dropped three red rupees into the old coin pail and made her request. The song seemed to act on her as water might to a parched man; revitalizing, and quenching a thirst for happiness as only it could. And when the song ended Aden slumped without realizing it; the world seemed sadder to him, as if somehow lamenting the silence.

"Thank you," Gale whispered, low enough to avoid being heard, then even lower, "and I'm sorry."

Aden wasn't entirely sure if he should speak, or even what to say. Castor seemed like such a nice man, it didn't seem fair that a simple mistake had cost him his eyesight. But it seemed that, like so many other things, life wasn't fair. He dropped another blue into the pail.

At the sound of the fee, the musician raised his head. "You've another one you'd like to hear?"

"No, you were just so good I thought you deserved some extra." He knew at once Castor didn't believe him, for though he accepted the compliment, his smile vanished.

"Forgive me if I sound rude but no one has ever given me pity money, and I won't let you start now. My pride just won't allow it."

Gale's lips were turned up in an insufferably smug smirk as she mouthed, "You won't win."

"Pick a song friend," Castor gently demanded, "or take your money back."

Aden looked from one redhead to another, but they both seemed to be set on him choosing a song, so with a shrug he said "Bluebi-"

Gale jabbed him once in the ribs, her face going blank. "Pick a different one."

_Okay that one's theirs. I understand that, but now what?_ He couldn't think of any other songs that Gale might enjoy, or that Castor may know. _What about… aha!_

"Could you play 'Fairy Lake'?"

"An excellent choice!" Castor said, bringing the ocarina to his lips. His choice wasn't a careless one; the song was often sung to those who were ill in the hope that it would restore their vitality. It was Aden's hope that, in some small way, it would help heal Gale's wounds- both of the body, and the soul.

Her expression never wavered, never faltered from the empty, stone-set stare. And as the slow melody progressed a feeling of profound sorrow gripped him. Like a thorny vine sprouting in his heart; was there nothing he could do? She seemed so very miserable…

The song came to an end, and with it Aden's feeble hope of easing her pain. Inclining his head he politely gave his thanks and excused himself. He'd expected Gale to remain with her brother but she kept ahold of his arm and, with tugs and prods, subtly steered him back to the inn; all the while refusing conversation. It was only when they stood before the door to her room that she finally spoke.

"I should be all better by tomorrow. We can leave for the mountain then." She said, stepping across the threshold. "I won't slow you down, so don't worry."

"Right… er, Gale are you okay?"

"I'm still a little sick."

"You know what I mean…"

Gale frowned and placed a hand on her door. "I haven't been well for a long time, even though you know, what could you hope to do?" Her face softened. "Thank you for your concern, but it's not your problem. _And_ unless I'm with you, don't go near him."

"You don't trust me."

The thief sighed and Aden was sure that before she closed the door, a hint of regret entered her eyes.

"Unfortunately… I don't."

-8-

**Ta-da! I'd like to thank fellow writer and friend Haru Glory, for introducing me to Radio Hyrule, and Radio Hyrule for providing the perfect song at the perfect time as well as inspiration (without which this chapter would still be incomplete).**


	23. Along The Woodland Road Long Ago

**Along the Woodland Road; Long Ago**

"It's enchanting." Aden sighed, watching the moonlight play over his fingers. "How you holdin' up?" He called back.

"I'm no worse than I was five minutes ago." Gale said tiredly. "How can you stand constantly riding at night? Don't you get sick of trying to see in the dark?"

"It never really bothered me. I can see better in the dark than most." He gave her a quick look; she seemed a little weak, but well enough for travel and strong enough to throw a knife straight, so he wasn't too worried. Still he was setting a slow pace for tonight; it wouldn't be in either of their best interests for her to get sick again.

Her health wasn't the only reason he kept it easy… to get to Death Mountain they'd have to pass very close to the Lost Woods, and the old gang. The mountain was supposed to be cursed, a few people lived up there, but for most it truly was a gate to death; dangerous rockslides, treacherous caverns, and then there was the tower itself… He knew his course was set, but if Gale wanted to back out he wouldn't blame her, especially considering what she was living for.

"Hey, the mountain isn't far from the forest you know…" He said.

"Yeah, and?"

"If we keep this pace, we'll reach it by tomorrow."

"We'd be there already if you weren't moving at snail's pace." Aden opened his mouth but she added, "We're about as slow as a moblin in an outhouse."

_That's a charming thought…_ "I was just wondering… no one's forcing you to come with me, if you want to leave, now's your chance. I'm sure old Blockhead's been disposed by now, and new management could mean more opportunities for someone with your talent."

"Do you want me to leave?"

Aden paused, picturing going on alone. It didn't appeal to him –especially considering where he was going. Worse, the thought of how lonely it would be up there left a lump in his throat… "No, not really. You want to go back?" Gale leaned over in her saddle and pretended to throw up. "You know it'll be dangerous."

"Oh good…" She smirked, "It's been what, a whole week since we've had to run for our lives? I was worried we might be missing out on our exercise."

-8-

_It's beautiful… _Zelda thought to herself. The gardens, the castle, and especially the moon; it was all so peaceful tonight. But it was there this night; a familiar chill in her bones, and the world held no charm for her anymore, no more…

There was a time, long ago, when she would sneak out of her room and her husband-to-be would spend hours wandering the garden with her. Traipsing through the night, chatting, whispering, laughing together until dawn, when he would try –unsuccessfully- to steal a kiss from her… much to the disapproval of her father; she could remember his words so clearly, even now: "You're the princess. He may be the Hero, but if he wishes to court you he should have to approach you just as any other suitor would. _That_ is the truest test of a man's heart."

Once, long ago, she saw the man of her dreams ask permission to officially court her, and her heart soared. Warm days with him seemed like a sweet fantasy now; the Princess Zelda was being wooed by the savior of the kingdom. It was a fit match, and she remembered sobbing when he finally worked up the nerve to propose. Then the two of them were blessed with a child; her son, her dear son… He was the fruit of their love, the tangible and undeniable truth of his feelings and hers. Watching him grow each day, watching her boy smile, healthy and strong… once, long ago…

And now look, her husband was gone, evil and seemingly immortal thieves stalked the land, the kingdom had become so unfeeling toward her, with fewer tithes from her subjects, and old magic was stirring. That was what it was, this cold seeping into her –it was the same feeling she had around Agahnim, ancient forces were rising.

_Once, long ago, I knew what it meant to be happy… _Zelda started back to the castle with her eyes stinging. If only she could know his fate, was he live or dead, happy or miserable, was he even still in Hyrule?

As she opened the door to her lonely castle, she called out, knowing only her echo would answer. "Aden, _where_ _are you?_"

-8-

"_Achoo!" _Aden pinched his nose. _Someone must be thinking about me…_ "So exactly how much do you know about the mountain?" He asked, hoping to prepare for what was coming.

Gale snorted. "About as much as the next shmuck. It's a wall of rock with one entrance at the base."

"Yeah, but something else about it, like a rumor or two."

"And if I have, what would it change? Everyone knows the stories of how travelers kept vanishing up there."

"Yes, but there have been other rumors since then, mostly old wives tales, with a few being gold. For instance, the existence of reclusive traders dwelling there." Aden grinned. "Besides, the night's still pretty young, and a ghost story would help whittle away the hours."

The redhead leaned over to spit. "If you want to soil your tights I'll be happy to terrify you, unfortunately I don't know much about the mountain, just how to get from the entrance to the first level of cliffs. What about you?"

"I know that there're monsters that turn to steel, diamonds in the rock, and that somewhere on the mountain is a portal to the legendary Dark World."

Aden had the satisfaction of seeing her jaw droop slightly. Everyone knew about the first two, not so with the third. "Where'd you hear that?"

"I hear stories here and there…" _And from my mother. _"That one came from a reliable source.

"You've never had a reason to doubt this informant before?" When he shook his head she smiled. "I'd like to meet him one day."

"Her." He corrected. "It's a woman, and meeting her… would be hard, and dangerous. She's _very _well protected."

"Is it the witch at the magic shop?"

"No… We can't just walk up to her house and ask to see her either; trust me, it'd be more trouble than it's worth. Besides, even if the portal is there, it won't do anything; everyone knows that after Link rescued the Queen and got the Triforce, the Dark World disappeared and portal was deactivated."

"Yeah, good point. Still…" She mused. "Someone who knows such a juicy tidbit, I'd like to maybe meet her someday."

Aden returned his eyes to the trail. "Maybe…" _No way in Hell! _If Gale met his mother and found out about his heritage she'd probably kidnap him for ransom, and after so long he wasn't sure if Zelda would pay or not…

-8-

**Sorry for the wait... I'd like to thank fellow author Haru Glory for telling me about Radio Hyrule, and Radio Hyrule for providing me with musical inspiration to write.**


	24. Marching the Mountain

**Marching The Mountain**

Of all the things Aden could've thought upon seeing the entrance to Death Mountain, he was surprised when the only thing that popped into his head was:_ That is one big rock._

"You know," Gale said as she dismounted, "A big rock that blocks the way to the inside of an even bigger rock is a little superfluous if you ask me." And Aden had to agree. Death Mountain was a two-tiered cliff; no one could hope to scale the vertical rock to the first level, and the inside was a deadly maze. Was it really so necessary to roll a boulder in front of the only entrance?

_Then again, if this place is so dangerous what the hell am I doing trying to brave it? I'm insane._ The son was as crazy as the father, he was sure of it now. The mountain was unlike the desert; it felt cold and unwelcoming, like a wolf that would attack an intruder, it would not tolerate their presence.

"'DANGER,'" Gale stopped at an old sign picketed on the hill "'Do not enter Death Mountain without the Queen's permission.' Big rock, bad reputation, entrance blocked by smaller rock, sign… I think they're trying to tell us something."

"Does anything get to you?"

"Not really, no." She rolled her shoulders. "Ok Aden, move the rock."

Aden tried not to smirk as he pushed out of his saddle. Gale was joking, but she was in for a surprise. The glove he'd found in the desert, when he'd first worn it he'd felt an immense strength that had quickly faded. He wore it during the fight with Sainen but it had done nothing. It took some trial and error, but on the way back to town, Aden discovered that when he'd set his eyes on large boulders the strength would return –large boulders like the one in front of him.

"Ladies, gents, and whatever you are Gale," he said dramatically grasping the stone, "observe!" Much as he expected, the cube-like obstruction came free easily and he hoisted it over his head.

"No way…" Gale's head cocked one way, then the other as she tried to figure out how he was lifting a rock twice as big as he was. "Not possible! It defies explanation; you must be cheating somehow!"

"How would I cheat? It's not like I have some 'ultimate power' or 'god strength'." He threw the boulder away. "Of course I _do _have that glove from the desert, and it allows one to apparently lift stones much heavier than they are…"

"I knew it, cheater."

As they entered into the mountain Aden was grateful for the lamp Regime had given him; without it, he would've have been left wandering in the dark, unable to see two feet in front of his face.

This place was old, musty, and hollow, with every footfall being thrown back at them. The cadence of water falling to the floor of the cave was like that of ticking clock; quiet and steady, though it was impossible to tell where the dripping was coming from.

"We're trespassers here." He finally said.

"Yes we are." Gale pushed past him, snagging the lamp in the process. "Follow me, and stay close, the bats that live here aren't afraid to attack you." She warned, tossing him a small smile.

Aden did as he was told, trying to quell the urge to speak. Gale was his only hope of not getting lost and he didn't want to distract her. The bowels of the cavern just seemed to go on, occasionally forking off into deeper darkness and he knew that with no guide, he'd get lost and eventually die up here.

"Turn right next. Oh, there're deep holes around here too, so take care." Aden didn't fully grasp what she meant by deep until he got a good look into one as they passed by; he felt his heart almost stop at the sight of the yawning blackness, ready to swallow any too- unobservant traveler.

_Don't look down… don't look down…_

"Just a little farther." Gale said as though reading his mind. "Stick close to the right-hand wall, the left is full of pits." Then with a tap that echoed around the corridor she planted her boot down and didn't move.

"Why are we stopping?"

"Just wanted to tell you: up ahead are creatures that can't be killed, they turn to stone if you hit them. If you're afraid then now's the time to go back, it won't be so easy afterwards."

"Like I said…" Aden fixed her with a hard stare, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking, or whether or not she was afraid. "Why're we stopping?"

The cave didn't go on much longer and as he pushed himself into daylight Aden took a deep breath, they were out!

"Run." Gale commanded, taking off. Aden didn't question her, he just followed her lead and ran. It didn't take long for him to find out what they were running from: large boulders similar to the one at the entrance were rolling down the cliff, barreling toward them with the force of an angry moldorm. Aden dropped to the ground as one bounced over the space where his head had been, the mountain vibrating as it passed. This was a gauntlet run, get out of danger or get squashed.

"UP!" Gale called over the sound of falling rocks. "WE HAVE TO GO UP!" Aden kicked his legs into high gear and started up the mountain, batting aside what looked like a squashed moblin, sure enough as soon as it was hurt the creature became hard as rock.

"Get-out-of-my-way!" He snapped slashing at any of them that got within reach. All he could do was try and keep his path clear and pray he didn't become a pancake.

The stones kept falling. Twice more he had to floor himself to escape dying, then he saw her, beckoning from a long set of stone terraces set into the mountain. Putting on an extra spurt of energy he charged forward… and ran smack into her outstretched fist.

"What was that for?" He asked blinking away the fairies buzzing around his eyes.

Gale smiled and motioned for him to follow her up the steps. "Look out there…" She said when they'd reached the top. Aden rubbed his temples to clear his head and looked.

What he saw took his breath away. Hyrule was laid out beneath the clouds like a child's play-world. He could easily see the woods, and Hyrule field, and farther off Castle Hyrule itself. "Whoa… just whoa…"

"Yeah, pretty impressive huh?"

"Yeah…" _Dad, did you see this when you came here? _He was literally on top of the world…

"I always wanted to show Castor this…"

Aden almost couldn't hear her, and as he watched her walk away a small trickle of discontent wound its way into his heart; Gale couldn't even appreciate how beautiful the world around her could be...

-8-

**So sorry for the wait, life's hectic for me.**


	25. Thy Father's Footsteps

**Thy Father's Footsteps**

_This is so stupid._ Aden rolled his head slowly, trying to ease the tension that had taken root in his neck like a weed –a stubborn weed. "It should be close by…" He nicked another glance at Gale, she nodded and smiled, looking around just like any other time, but nothing changed. He could see it in her bearing; the wonders of this world held no wonder for her, she was so used to her subconscious repression that she simply didn't care anymore.

_So why am I doing this? Why, oh Gods almighty, am I taking her to a portal that leads to a nightmare version of our own world? _Even if he found it, the portal was likely closed; his mother said that the Dark World had vanished after Ganon's death, so where would it lead to? It was probably just an ordinary stone by now. _She shows me all of Hyrule at once and how do I reciprocate? I take her to a rock… This is all so stupid! _"Almost there."

"You sure the thing still works?" She asked sweetly. "I mean I've heard _so _much about the Golden Land, I'd just hate for us to trudge all the way up here and find nothing…"

"I'll bet you would." It was impossible to tell whether she was being sarcastic or not. She probably wanted there to be nothing so she could hold it over his head.

"Do you even know what you're looking for?"

"Yes, I do." _Sort of… _Zelda had said that it was directly in the shadow of the tower, but having never been here it was still difficult to find something that might not even be here anymore, and as time ticked away their patience Aden began to wonder if perhaps it had vanished.

Then he saw them: a pentagram of stones, both great and small, and at the epicenter was the portal.

To Aden it looked as though someone had dug a square depression into the mountain floor and filled it with some kind of pristine metal. The tile fit perfectly into the rock as if it was made specifically for the purpose of being there.

"So this is it huh?" Gale said quietly. Kneeling before the portal she placed a delicate palm squarely on its center. Nothing happened. "Damn. And here I was, hoping I'd disappear…"

"Want to see the Dark World?"

"Heck no!" The redhead grinned, rising from her crouch. "I want the Triforce –all the money in the world, _mine_!"

"That seems remarkably shallow…"

"And just what would you wish for?"

"Power." He blurted before thinking, "I… I'd get revenge on Sainen!" He said, hoping she wouldn't see through his halfhearted attempt.

"That," Gale said with a small smile, "is _very _shortsighted."

"Not to mention impossible."

Both thieves whirled, Aden drawing his sword with the motion. Of all the places he'd thought they'd meet, Death Mountain was not one of them; Sainen was striding up the way they'd come, the most insufferable smile on his face. Unlike their previous encounter he was fully dressed in a dark red mail tunic, completely cleaned, and shaven.

"You're incapable of killing me." He said, his smile fading slightly. "Oh wait, I forgot, Miko did say to practice my manners. "Hello, how are you Gale?"

"Same as always, I suppose. How are you?" She asked, taking out her bow and two arrows.

"Oh I'm feeling great, just great…" He continued in light tones. "I came to kill you. I'm actually not supposed to be here, but, well… for you my dear, I couldn't resist. Besides, I was tired of listening to Gibdos-brain."

Aden tightened his grip on his sword. "What is Blind up to these days?"

Sainen didn't respond or even look his way. "It really is beautiful up here. The _sights_ are to die for…"

"Care to die for them? I'll help if you do."

"Really," he said without pause, "you can look at the whole kingdom from up here."

"Careful, at this altitude you could slip and fall. Wouldn't that be a tragedy…"

The doppelganger merely took a deep breath. "So, how about it, honey? Care to go for a walk? See what we can see? We could trade a few sob stories."

Aden knew exactly what he was doing; Sainen was trying to get under his skin by ignoring him, but it wasn't going to work because there was something very wrong with this picture, and it was setting alarm bells of in his head.

"Where's your sword?!" No response. "Hey you freak of magic, I asked you a question!"

"What, this?" He asked motioning towards his weaponless back with his chin. "I'm a little old to be playing with toys don't you think?"

"If you don't have a weapon, how do you plan to kill us?" Gale asked. "Not barehanded I hope."

Sainen widened his stance. "Oh I was wondering when you'd ask… It gives me a chance to show off; you see I've been going through a few changes, and I've learned several new tricks. Take this one for instance…"

Aden blinked; the ground had begun to gently thrum beneath his feet. "Gale…"

"Yeah?"

"Shoot him."

Gale didn't waste time with questions. Setting one arrow in place she took aim and fired, but to no avail, the arrow veered wildly off course before snapping like a dead twig.

"Just to let you know…" Sainen said quietly, "this magic was _excruciatingly _difficult to obtain, so I hope you savor the moment." As he spoke the ground between both parties began to fracture, and the wind began to increase. "This is what is known as 'Summoning!'"

Aden shut his eyes as a blast of wind struck him and Gale, knocking them back several steps. When he was able to open his eyes again he had to wait for the dust to clear, and when it did, he wished it hadn't.

Sainen was standing beside what could only be described as the world's biggest turtle. The gray stone shell was the size of a small house, its sickle-shaped claws as long as a man's forearm, and its cobra-like heads –all three of them- glared angrily down upon the world. It was a creature without pity or fear, a monster that would trample the whole kingdom if given the chance, starting with the two residents in front of it.

"For the last moments of your lives, you may refer to this beast as Trinexx." Sainen said with a smile. "It's a legendary monster with powers beyond those of mere mortals… Blind fused its power into my soul. I can call it any time I wish, and it will follow any order I give it -like 'kill those two idiots, and let's try to be quick about it!'"

"Shall we run for our lives?" Gale darted away without waiting for an answer. Aden followed suite, not needing to check if it was after them; something that big, they simply weren't ready for it. But with two sides blocked by cliffs and that thing cutting off the only path back there was only one way: dead south, to a ledge that quite possibly had nothing beneath it.

Gale dove off it with not even a pausing to consider the danger, Aden took one look back; Sainen was standing with his arms crossed, smirking as his monster began to turn. Praying there was something soft to break his fall, Aden jumped.

The rock walls were hard and unforgiving, battering his tiny body, but the drop wasn't a long one. With a painful thud he landed face down and rolled over.

"Oh, by the Triforce, you've gotta be kidding!" The Trinexx had already reached the ledge and was starting to make its way down, its hooked feet easily gripping the side. Aden jumped up and ran after Gale; the ground behind him shaking as the creature landed.

"Aw, can we not get a break?!" He found Gale standing before a large crevice, spanned by a large wooden bridge, _mostly_; the center was missing, leaving a gap far too wide to jump. The redhead turned to him. "Quick, rope, now!"

"I don't have any, I thought you'd have brought that –you're the marksman!"

"You moron! You really are stupid! You were the one that went shopping for supplies, how can you think we wouldn't need rope to climb a-!" The planks rattled and the Trinexx scuttled around the corner.

"Okay…" Aden said as they backed onto the bridge, "Get ready to run…"

"Where?"

_Good question. _They were over a pit that seemed to have no bottom, with a giant three-headed turtle closing in on them. Gale fired an arrow, but the shaft bounced off the creature's armored skull. The Trinexx took another step and stopped, weaving its central head from side to side.

"It's too heavy," Gale said, "if it tries to advance, the bridge will collapse, possibly killing it too."

"So it does have a sense of self-preservation after all, good. We might be able to use that to escape." As soon as he said it all three heads zeroed in on him, and he could've sworn the other two were laughing as the right head reared back, opened its mouth, and breathed a stream of white hot flames.

Aden sheathed his sword as the sweet scent of burning oak filled the air. "Jump!" Grabbing Gale by the arm, he turned and dove as far as he could over the pit. With an angry hiss, the beast's middle thrust out like a stabbing sword and bashed them in midair, propelling them into the planks on the other side.

The horizontal planks rammed into Aden's middle, crushing the wind form his lungs, but he was still able to get his fingers hooked into the wood. Gale wasn't as fortunate and smashed face first into the bridge. Without anything to grab onto, gravity took over and she plummeted into the darkness without so much as a scream.

"Now now, my cute and cuddly killing machine…" Sainen said striding up beside his pet. "I distinctly remember telling you to destroy him, didn't I? So what do you think you should do?" Without pause, the left head rose up.

Aden tried to reflate his empty lungs, hoping to think of a way out. The right head was red –fire, and the center one was meant for crushing, so it was covered in metal, but the left was bright blue.

_Oh Triforce… _The left head spat out a stream of frigid air and tiny shards that stabbed into him like dozens of tiny hornets. Aden felt his grip on the frozen wood weaken, then he was holding onto air.

The unyielding ledges bashed into his ribs, arms, legs… up became down, and the world was reduced to pain and the sound of breaking bones on rock, then a stone collided with his head, and the darkness swallowed him up.

-8-

Where was he? Was he even still living? Aden wasn't sure, everything felt so clouded and heavy. Like his weight was too much to bear. He opened his eyes as the events of the fall came to him.

He was staring up at a pinprick of light, the crevice opening, shining down into hundreds of prismatic crystals and bathing everything in soft indigo light.

"I fell…" Aden tried to move, and screamed as his mind registered the trauma his body had been put through. The world down here was icy, yet his body burned with pain, he couldn't even tell where it came from; his whole form just seemed to be gripped by pain.

_Damn it! Don't move, don't even twitch._ Eventually the pain subsided to a semi-unbearable level, enough to roll over, but the action left him completely exhausted. Worse, he could feel shards of wet glass digging into his hip; the potions for just such occasions were no doubt gone. "Meaning I'm about to die…" From somewhere a hysterical laugh bubbled painfully up. "Damn it… Damn it!" Here he was, dying, and all he could do was laugh and cry, until the cold and his injuries finally did their work.

"Hmph. There's only so much I can do…" Aden raised his head to a pair of transparent boots, raising his head higher he smiled.

_Great, now I'm hallucinating… Ah well, least ways I got someone to talk to._

The apparition regarded him coldly for a moment. "You're pathetic." Aden's smile vanished. "I can't believe this is all you have. I faced far worse in my day…"

"Yeah well, sorry to disappoint, but I'm not you. I'm not crazy enough to pretend I can keep going when I can't." The phantom shook his head in disgust, and Aden found himself unable to meet his eyes. "Why'd you even do it anyway? You were left just like this but you never stopped… you just kept going, like a cockroach. Even when it killed you, and fairies had to bring you back, you just wouldn't quit. Tell me… Tell me why!"

"Look over your shoulder, and then you tell me."

Aden turned his head, neck popping. Gale was lying unconscious on her side, in her own blood. Without a word he began to crawl.

"Still think you can't keep moving? Still think it isn't worth it? You've already seen that power for your ego only goes so far, trust me, I know." Aden grabbed the nearest crystal and pulled himself to his unsteady feet. His left leg was broken so he unbuckled his sword and hobbled over to Gale.

She wasn't especially heavy but as he slung her over his shoulder he still cried out in pain.

The ghost turned on his heel and slowly walked off into the dark. "If it's power you want, find something worth protecting, and devote everything to it. Struggle till you can struggle no more, then get back up and keep fighting, and _then _I'll take back what I said, kid…"

Aden slowly followed. The pain was red hot through his body and his vision blurred, his ears rang with a stagnant tone that blotted out thought, but he kept moving. _It's just one foot in front of the other. Left, then right. Left, and right. Left, right… Left… Right…_

Eternity passed, and he had no idea if he was even moving or how long those words repeated in his head.

-8-

**Well, a little later than I wanted, but it's up! So you all have the floor, I'm listening.**


	26. Witch's Brew

**Witch's Brew**

Aden came to slowly. The darkness of sleep lifted gradually, like a veil of black being lifted one shade at a time, until he could recognize shapes and sounds; a fire crackling, the gray and brown of cave walls, the feel of heavy wool against his bare skin, and the smell of steaming stew.

Blinking away the last vestiges of sleep he groaned as his body made apparent all the injuries it had accumulated.

"Yeah, he's up alright." A young woman's smiling face entered his view. "Wakey wakey…" Aden groaned and tried to sit up, but she placed a hand on his chest. "Don't even think it, you're still pretty beat up under there."

"Where am I?"

"You," said another voice, "are in a cave, on one of the most eastern ledges of Death Mountain." The speaker moved into sight and Aden blinked; the two girls possessed exactly the same features. "And for the past two days you've been sleeping in my bed while we treated you."

"I'm… sorry? And thank you, I suppose…" He wasn't entirely sure how to respond to these two, his mind wasn't fully alive yet.

"Aw, no worries! I'm Winn." The first one said. "My sister is Itsa."

"Aden. Thank you for your help."

Itsa waved her hand dismissively. "It was our pleasure."

Aden cast a glance at the blankets concealing his form. _Two blondes, one unconscious me…_ _I have a feeling they took quite a bit of pleasure from it…_ "The girl I had with me, what about her?" He knew at once by the way their eyes fell, that he'd asked the wrong question.

"She'll live… but she's still really bad off…"

"How bad?"

Winn bit her lower lip. "Well, aside from dozens of cuts and bruises, her neck was broken."

Aden felt the air leave his lungs like rabbits before a wolf. Itsa quickly put a hand on his bandaged brow.

"Don't worry, mother's tending to her, she'll be fine."

"Can I see her?"

"No."

"Why-"

"Because of your blood loss, broken leg, cracked skull, and bruised back and ribs." Winn said. "If it weren't for us and mum, you'd be dead."

"I'm still not sure I'm not dead, maybe you two are just angels."

Itsa blushed, and Winn shook her head. "Witches more like, at least witches in training… Soup's on."

Itsa helped him sit, while Winn moved to a large cauldron in the corner of the cave, the source of the smell. "Double, double, toil and trouble… Fire burn and cauldron bubble!" She sang, ladling a bowlful for him. "Making mushroom brew, we are… It's great if you're busted up."

Aden's stomach rumbled at the warm smell, he held out his hands for the bowl, but she merely sat down next to his legs, stirred the soup and held a spoonful to his lips. "Surely you jest…"

"Open up."

"I can move my arms you know."

"Yeah, an inch at a time."

"What are you, my mother?"

Winn smirked teasingly. "Open up the drawbridge, here comes the rider…"

"Oh please-" The spoon was quickly shoved into his open mouth, and though he gave Winn the dirtiest look he could, he had to admit the mushroom stew tasted delicious. _If Gale saw this I know exactly what she'd say, "About time someone shut his mouth."_

"Mum told us to make sure you got better, and I listened to her closely. I will make sure you get fed."

Aden swallowed, and his body began to prickle at the heat. "But you don't-" Another spoonful cut off his reply, and he got the distinct impression he was fighting a losing battle. Ista ruffled his hair and giggled softly.

"You're being pampered. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy it."

_I know you will._

The twin witches were insistent that they feed him, and eventually Aden gave up, humiliating though it was. As Winn fed him, Itsa filled another bowl.

"I'm full."

"Not until you finish this, you're not." Aden rolled his eyes, but allowed her to insert the spoon into his mouth.

_Good thing I like mushrooms. _There was very little time to speak in between bites, but plenty of time to think. And Aden realized that he was still in very real danger; Sainen could be tearing the mountain apart this very minute trying to find him, and if he came here, everyone would be in grave danger. _Especially with that monster under his control, that thing could incinerate us, freeze the ashes, and then crush us before I could say "Triforce."_

"Listen," He said before she could spoon him another mouthful, "I don't want to scare you, but there's a monster running around. It's what did this to me."

"We know." They said together.

"You… know?"

"Mother told us." Winn said.

Itsa smiled. "She know the mountain, she went to investigate after she carried you two here…"

"…and" Her sister finished, "she told us she saw signs of some huge animal's passing. She's not worried; whatever it was is long gone."

"Oh." Aden accepted his next spoonful quietly. If Sainen and his ugly pet turtle weren't searching for him, then that meant the doppelganger thought he was dead, and being dead had its advantages. "Say, could you tell your mom, there was a guy who looks like me controlling the monster, he'll probably go for the tower."

"I'll pass it on." Itsa said, offering another bite. He took it without complaint, he had to recover soon; the thought of what Sainen could do with that thing under his thumb made him sick.

The girls fed him and offered him water, then left him to rest, promising they'd bring their mother to meet him and answer any questions he might have. So left alone with a little quiet and a full belly, Aden closed his eyes to sleep.

-8-

"Who told you to go after him!" Blind yelled at the top of his lungs- or at least, Miko thought, whatever constituted for lungs beneath his robe.

Before him the kneeling Sainen could do nothing but smile. "Not you…" Blind's indigo staff struck on the jaw, the impact echoing around the massive chamber.

"Do you realize that if you hadn't maintained ironclad control, the Trinexx would've turned on you?!"

"But it didn't, and now there's one less 'Hero' running about." Blind struck him again, sending him sprawling.

"You overconfident fool! It is _not a toy_!" Then their master sighed deeply, as a slight shiver ran down his spine. "Okay… The pendants can be taken at any time now, so there's no rush." The magical thief relaxed completely. "You Sainen, have a serious flaw: you lack tact, a certain grace, if you will. You're going to be my vanguard in a little mission that will fix that, and in your free time Miko will send you books from my library."

"Books?"

"Books." Blind said. "Over the history of war. You seem to think it's all about power, but it isn't, it's about having the right tool for the job…"

-8-

**Well, a little shorter than originally planned, but it's a reactive chapter so oh well. Share your thoughts?**


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